Fated
by Chelsea Womberly
Summary: Bella is a college student, Edward a cop that works with the world's most dangerous, supernatural criminals. He is one of the world's oldest and deadliest creatures! There is something about Bella that seems to attract these creatures to her. Edward's backstory and ancestry bring this story to life with a unique twist that brings lots of action. B/E HEA
1. Chapter 1 Awkward and Strange Happenings

**FATED**

 **A/N Bella is a college student and Edward a cop. Edward is not a vampire. He is much more. He is one of the world's oldest and deadliest creatures!**

 **Can Bella handle this enticing, authoritative, formidable man? Will he free her from monotony and introduction passion, adventure, and danger in her life? Bella has never had a man make her feel the way Edward does. Her body reacts to him, almost instinctively, like they were fated to be together, but she must struggle against his drive to keep her safe, which means keeping her away from him. She will show him that she can handle herself.**

 **Edward has never felt this way about anyone before. His desire to protect Bella rises above everything else. He doesn't want to bring danger into her life, but he cannot make himself stay away. He realizes that Bella coming to this city is going to attract danger with or without him, so he must stay diligent to keep her safe.**

 **Edward warns Bella about the dangers in this city, but she does not listen to him. He works special jobs in his police department. The kinds of jobs that require supernatural abilities to handle supernatural criminals. His job places him against some of the world's most dangerous creatures and there is something about Bella that seems to attract these creatures to her...**

 **Edward's backstory and unique ancestry brings this story to life in a unique twist that brings lots of action and adventure.**

 **Characters: Edward/Bella, Jacob/Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Charlie**

 **HEA**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

Craig is sitting across from me, staring at me like he's afraid I am going to fly away. His intense gaze distracting me, I take too large of a sip of my French Onion Soup and slurp it down fast as it burns my lips. I suck on my bottom lip and fan my mouth with my fingers. The burned lip adds to my annoyance for allowing my roommate Patty to talk me into going on this date.

"Did you burn yourself, Bella?" Craig asks, concern showing in his amber eyes.

I give a dramatic nod of my head. My brown, slightly wavy hair, falls over my face covering one eye. "uh huh." I tuck my stray hair behind my ear and fish an ice cube out of my water glass to hold against my bottom lip.

"You need to blow on it first," Craig says with a hint of amusement in his voice.

I roll my eyes at him and check my cell to see what time it is. It's only been 15 minutes from the last time I checked. Patty was supposed to call me a half hour ago with an excuse I could use to get out of the date, in case things went bad. I am realizing now that Patty has no intention of calling. I'll deal with her when I get home.

"You look beautiful tonight," Craig smiles sweetly.

"Thank you. " I cannot stop a blush from flushing across my cheeks. I am wearing a plain black cocktail dress that ends above the knee and black high heels. I have on very light makeup. Just a little blush and mascara. I am surprised I have not broken an ankle yet from wearing high heels, they are not my usual choice of footwear.

I reach for my glass of water and almost knock it over. As I grab the half tilted glass, Craig places both of his hands on either side of mine and helps me set the glass back on the table. He leaves his hands over mine, keeping them held prisoner as he gazes into my eyes, a smile set upon his lips.

"So, what were we talking about?" I offer to break the tension, squeezing my hands out from under his and sliding them under the table on my lap, where he cannot reach them.

"I was telling you how glad I am that you finally agreed to go out with me. I was beginning to think you didn't like me and then I talked to Patty during history class and she told me you were just shy and promised she would convince you to go to dinner with me. I'm glad you said yes."

"I'm glad I said yes also." I smile trying to be convincing. I should have never allowed Patty to bully me into going out with Craig. She's worried because I have never found someone to whom I am attracted to. She thinks if she forces me to go on dates, then I will become attracted to someone and finally have a boyfriend, but It just doesn't work that way. Her intentions are good so I try not to get mad at her.

It's not Craig's fault that I'm not attracted to him. He isn't a homely man by any means. In fact, some girls at college consider him quite handsome and many would love to date him. He has unwavering, blonde, shoulder length, strongly moussed hair that is slightly wavy on top and straight down the sides, a muscular, tight body, a nice personality and is intelligent. He also has a strong will, which I am finding out about since he has been pursuing me.

I finish my meal and politely wait for him to finish his before I say goodnight. "I had a really good time tonight, Craig, but I do have to call it a night. I have to get up early tomorrow for work."

His eyes narrow as his mouth purses together in a pout. "Do you really have to go so soon? I was hoping we could chat for a while longer."

"I'm sorry but I really do have to get to bed." I lied. I push my chair out, stand up and walk toward Craig. As I lean over Craig to give him a kiss on the cheek he turns his head to face me. After a brief pause, I lean my face to the side of his and give him a peck on his cheek and stand back up.

"Don't you need a ride home?" He takes his napkin from his lap and throws it on the table and pushes his chair out, getting ready to stand up.

"No. I drove." I lied. "Don't get up. Stay and finish your coffee. Thanks again for dinner and have a good night." I head for the door at a fast pace, making sure he doesn't have time to pay for dinner and catch up with me.

* * *

As I walk out the restaurant's main doors onto the sidewalk, I dial Patty's cell number. It goes straight to voicemail. Patty borrowed my car and promised to pick me up when I call. Now I realize it was a ploy to get me to stay through the entire date and have to get a ride home with Craig. I defiantly decide to walk home. If my calculations are correct, it should only be about seven blocks.

I make a left and continue walking, retrying Patty's cell. I stop at the corner of Main Street and Chestnut Street and look around, judging my approximate direction in relation to my apartment. A left onto Chestnut is my decision. I walk two blocks and then make a right down an alley.

Either side of the narrow alley is lined with tall, old, buildings, several stories high. Old, rusty, metal fire escapes hang from the walls and large metal trash dumpsters are placed on either end of the alley. They give the alley the smell of sun-ripened vomit. The only sounds in the alley are the sound of my heeled shoes crunching against loose stones, and the slow drips of rainwater, from a previous storm, coming off of the fire escapes and dripping down onto the stones forming tiny puddles.

As I continue walking my heels keep twisting my ankles as I step on jagged stones. What I hear behind me sounds like an echo of my walking, but as I slow my pace down the echo sound does not slow. I stop walking and turn around to look behind me and find no one there. The sound stops also. "That's strange" I mutter to myself.

To save my ankles from getting sprained I remove my shoes and carry them in my left hand. I continue walking, dodging small puddles on my way. The echo sound starts up again but I notice it still sounds like a pair of shoes crunching on the gravel behind me. I am now in my bare feet and am not making any noise to be able to produce an echo. After listening to the echo for several seconds as I walk, once again I turn around and find no one behind me. The sound stops as I do.

I pause a moment to look for a logical explanation for what I am hearing. As I am looking around the alley, I notice a shadow of a person slowly floating down the building ahead of me, to my left. In stunned silence, I watch the shadow float down to the ground. "People don't just float down from the sky", I tell myself. I take a moment to reason this out in my head. The sun is at my back, so the shadow must be caused by something or someone behind me. As I come to this realization, fear strikes me leaving me frozen in place, too afraid to look behind me.

Another shadow now appears in front of me on the same building. This one is on the ground running way too fast to be human, from right to left. It looks like the second shadow tackles the first one. A loud crack and the sound of something crumbling comes from behind me. I take a deep breath, gathering my courage and turn my head to look behind me. No one is there.

On the wall of the building behind me, to my left, there is a dent in the bricks a couple feet wide and long. The dent in the area of bricks contains a large scorch mark. I walk up to it and run my fingertips across the crumbling bricks. I quickly pull my hand back from the heat. I glance around at my surroundings nervously and peek up into the sky, not sure what I am expecting to see. Nothing unusual is in sight. Letting out a sigh of relief, I curse Patty for not answering her phone, and begin to sprint out of the alley.

The other 2 blocks walk home go uneventfully as I try to not think about my odd experience in the alley. I make it in the front door of my house in record time. Patty is sitting on the couch in her pajamas sipping Chardonnay.

"Thanks for not calling with an excuse to get me out of the date and double thanks for not answering your phone and making me walk seven blocks home!" My hands are balled up in tight fists resting on my hips as I wait for her answer.

"Bella. You didn't let him drive you home? And why are you back so early?"

"As I told you before, Patty, I am not attracted to Craig. He makes me uneasy the way he stares at me, and there's something about him that seems, I don't know, eerie. You purposely did not call or answer your phone to try to force me to stay on the date longer, but I left anyway and had to walk all the way home! Now please do me a favor and do not set me up on any more dates!"

I stomp off to bed irritated and disappointed.

* * *

I hear music begin to blast in the bedroom next to mine. Patty's bedroom alarm. I quickly jump out of bed in order to beat her to the shower. Patty likes to take her time in the shower. When she manages to get in the shower first I am always late for work.

Patty and I both just began our freshman year at Hudson Valley College. I met her when I answered her ad for a roommate and we hit it off right away. She rents the bottom half of a twin. It's a 3 bedroom, one bathroom apartment. It's all brick, like most houses in the neighborhood. It has a small porch, which we share with the tenants of the other 3 apartments in the building, and a set of long steps going up the hill to the house. the inside is small but cozy. It's an older home with paneling walls and old beige carpeting throughout.

Patty's a pretty girl with medium length, highlighted, medium blonde hair and large baby blue eyes. She's 5' 7" tall and she has more curves then I do and likes to show them off. She is more social than I and more outgoing. I am the reasonable, level-headed headed one who keeps her out of danger and she keeps me from sliding into an anti-social spiral, staying inside reading books and ignoring everyone else. Our personalities complement each other well.

I make my way into the bathroom and step into the shower. The moment the warm water hits my body my muscles start to relax and my tensions wash away. I close my eyes, allowing the sounds of the running water to calm my mind. The memory of my walk home through the alley pops into my mind. I know something unusual happened in that alley. Those shadows were all too real. The thought of something unnatural happening in my uninteresting life stirs excitement in my mind, mixed with a bit of fear. I hear Patty's music alarm go off twice more while I'm in the shower. She tends to keep hitting the snooze until she has no chance of getting to work or school on time.

After I shower, I allow my hair to air dry. I throw on a pair of blue jeans with faded knees, a short-sleeved, lime green, ruffled blouse and my favorite pair of sneakers. I make a quick pot of coffee, drink two cups and eat a blueberry muffin and then head out the door on my way to work. I leave Patty the rest of the coffee. She was up late last night partying at O'Toole's Bar and Grill with our friend Jacob, so I'm sure she will need it.

* * *

As Patty, Jacob and I enter the main room at O'Toole's Bar and Grill, I hear hundreds of conversations told in loud voices, all of them competing with the dance music that is coming from the back room. All three of us scan the large room, looking for an empty table. The crowd is young, students from the college for the most part. I spy an open table close to the bar. I nudge Jacob with my elbow, then point to the empty table and Jacob leads the way.

We waste no time ordering and our meals arrive shortly after.

"How's your burger?" Jacob asks as he shoves several chicken fingers in his mouth.

Jacob is a friend Patty and I met at college. I admire how well he always dresses. He is wearing a loosely fitting black silk shirt and black trousers. His rich chocolate hair has a tousled, unkempt look. He has strong arched brows, thick eyelashes and dark, maple brown, deep eyes. His distinct cheekbones and angular jaw, along with his pale skin, makes him look devilishly handsome. He does not hear the word no often. Maybe that's why he seems to not want to accept it when he hears it from me.

"It's good as always." I hide a smile as Jacob continues to shove chicken fingers in his mouth. His stuffed cheeks beginning to puff out, causing him to resemble a puffer fish.

A couple dollops of ketchup drop from my burger onto my t-shirt and jeans. I wet my napkin by dunking it in my soda and then dab it on my clothes, blotting the stains away. If I get through a meal without any food stains, I consider it a good day.

"No one asked me how my dinner is," Patty says as she drinks her Cosmopolitan and gives Jacob a dramatic pout. Patty does so love attention.

"Looks to me like you're drinking your dinner tonight," Jacob raises an eyebrow, then lowers his eyes to Patty's plate which contains only some french fries and ketchup.

"I ate some french fries," Patty says defensively. "Come on you guys, hurry up and finish your food. I want someone to do shots with me." Jacob and I ignore her, continuing to eat at our own pace.

Greg, a football scholarship receiver at our college, overhearing Patty, swivels his seat around to face us and calls her over to the bar to join him. He raises two thick fingers at the bartender. "Two shots of Tequila."

Greg has a large build, he's muscular, with short, wavy, blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He has a bit of a round face, with slightly chubby cheeks and light pale skin. He loves to party and is generally a nice guy. Tonight he has gotten to O'Toole's before the rest of his football buddies and is pleased to have another serious drinker to party with while he awaits his friends.

Patty rises from her seat and walks toward the bar. Her white lace, backless dress hangs from her shoulders, hugging her curvy form, and ending slightly below the thigh. She takes the seat next to Greg, folding one leg over the other, dangling her high heel, showing more leg. Greg's eyes drop momentarily to survey her curves and then rise again to meet her bright, baby blue, heavily, made up eyes. I envy Patty being able to dress provocatively without feeling self-conscious. If I just had a hint of the confidence she has I would go out and socialize more and see more of the world.

"Oh boy! If she's starting to drink with Greg already, she's going to be trashed tonight," Jacob says.

"Yep. I can see it starting already. I guess I will be driving her home and putting her to bed tonight."

Jacob leans in a bit too close for my comfort. "I'll help you get her to bed."

I give him an awkward smile and lean back in my chair, furthering the distance between us. I continue to eat my burger in silence. In the awkwardness of the moment, I tuck a stray piece of my hair behind my right ear. A nervous habit.

As the night wears on, the music becomes louder and the customers rowdier. The football players have all arrived and have taken up the corner of the bar playing pool and daring each other to chug pitchers of beer. Jacob, at the bar, grabs another pitcher of beer and heads over to our table where Patty and I await him. We have to raise our voices in order to hear each other over the music and the football players chug,chug,chug chant.

Patty talks me into doing shots of tequila with her. I don't realize I've had too many until I get up to use the bathroom and my legs start taking me on a little roller coaster ride. Swaying back and forth, I make my way to the bathroom. On the way back to my table, walking past the pool table, I stumble and fall, landing face first onto the green felt. My head knocks several balls out of place and two balls into the table's pockets.

"Oooff." I lie motionless for a moment.

One of the football players, Kyle, helps lift me up off the table, holding onto my arms so I don't fall on the floor. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"I'm just a nit drunk and wobbery, wobbly," I manage to spit out.

One of the pool players taps his stick against the floor, while another crosses his arms over his chest, both waiting impatiently for Kyle and me to leave so they can finish their game. Kyle eyes me suspiciously and raises his eyebrows.

"Okay. Let's get you back to your friends and tell them it's time for you to go home." He takes my arm and kindly returns me to my table telling Jacob and Patty he thinks I should be escorted home. Kyle takes one look at Patty, who usually sits with a perfectly straight posture, and sees she is slumped over in her chair, holding her glass of beer up above her head for no reason at all, legs sprawled somewhat apart, and swaying ever so slightly. "Maybe both of you should be going home. Neither one of you are in shape to drive. I'll drive you home and then have one of my buddies pick me up at your place."

Patty sees Kyle holding me up and staggers over to stand by Kyle's other side, holding his arm in hers. She hates being left out of getting attention.

"I've got it. I'm taking them home," Jacob says as he jumps up to face Kyle, knocking his beer over onto the table in his hurry, determination set in his face.

Kyle takes a step back, then glances at me and I shrug my shoulders. He then looks back to Jacob. "Okay. I see they are in good hands." He gently lets go of my arm, wiggles his other arm free of Patty and walks back to join his buddies at the pool table.

"Thanks Kyle," I manage to sputter out. I notice Patty eyeing Kyle's backside as he walks away. That is my signal that she has had too much to drink.

"Maybe we should get going," Jacob says to both Patty and myself. "Neither of you are walking well anymore."

"Ha!" I snicker and snort a little as I slightly sway back and forth. I grab Jacob's shoulder to steady myself but remove my hand as my eyes meet Jacob's lovelorn stare.

"Alright let's get going," Patty says before she downs the remainder of her beer, then sets her glass down on the table.

Patty and I stagger out the door, making our way to my car, Jacob trailing behind. I hand Jacob the keys and get in the front passenger seat. Patty climbs in the back, lying face down across the seat. Her dress bunching up as she slides across the seat, the end of her dress pulled up exposing her panties. I look back at her and laugh loudly.

* * *

We are only about five blocks from home when Patty begins singing 'Waterfalls' loud and obnoxious. Jacob's knuckles tense on the steering wheel. I'm laughing at Patty's antics, turned in my seat, half looking at Jacob and half looking in the back seat at Patty. Jacob, teeth clenched together, glares at Patty through the rearview mirror. He must notice the stop sign too late and blows through it. He shakes his head from side to side, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Good thing no one was coming the other way," I yell so Jacob can hear me over Patty's singing.

"Patty! Please stop singing. I can't concentrate! You just made me miss a stop sign," Jacob yells toward the back seat and then looks at me.

I give him my I don't know what to do with her look and shake my head, realizing that makes me dizzy, I quickly stop.

Patty pauses momentarily, then resumes her singing, but not quite as loudly as before. Jacob bellows out an exasperated noise that sounds somewhat like a hippo. I hide my snicker with my hand.

A siren echoes behind us. Red and blue flashing lights bounce off our car's dash.

" Patty keep quiet! A cop is pulling us over," Jacob commands as he pulls the car off to the side of the road and slows to a halt. Patty grows quiet.

"It's a good thing I only had a couple beers tonight," Jacob says.

I open my mouth to respond to Jacob and hiccup instead. I place my hand over my mouth and hope that doesn't happen while we are talking to the cop. I turn my head to look out the rear window of the car and see the cop's car door swing open.

After several moments, out steps a tall, muscular man wearing a blue New York police uniform. He reaches back in his car and pulls out a flat-brimmed Stetson police hat, which he places upon his head. He looks to be in his late 20s and is the most strikingly handsome man I have ever seen. He holds the kind of beauty that stops you in your tracks.

As he walks toward our car, I see his muscles straining against the fabric of his uniform. His sturdy, solid build and straight posture give him a formidable walk. My eyes fixed upon him, a chill goes up my spine. I bite my bottom lip as my heart skips a beat. I get a slight ache in the pit of my stomach, and my loins, as he approaches.

"Good evening. My name is Officer Cullen. May I have your name, both of your licenses, your registration and insurance cards please?" He shines his flashlight at Jacob's face. Jacob squints trying to see through the light's blinding ray.

"My name is Jacob Black," Jacob tells the police officer while I scramble through the glove box in search of my registration and insurance. I hand them both to Jacob, along with my license. Jacob hands the officer everything.

"The car is not mine. It's Bella's," Jacob points his finger in my direction, then scratches his head nervously, waiting for the officer to respond.

The officer bends down to look at me and shines his flashlight in my face while I try my best to look sober. I squint through the bright light trying to get a read on the officer. He hesitates for a long moment, inspecting me meticulously.

He speaks so suddenly and loudly it causes me to jump in my seat. "Step out of the car for me please, everyone!" He shines his flashlight in the back seat to see Patty passed out, sprawled across the seat with her dress still bunched up exposing her panties, then he takes a few steps backwards, and waits for Jacob to get out of the car. I exit through the passenger door, stepping carefully to not stumble and expose my drunkenness.

"Ma'am. Please come around to this side of the car." He gestures impatiently. My heart skips a beat again. His voice is so sexy I can't help biting my lower lip. He makes me feel weak and excited at the same time, even if he is being bossy.

I try to pull myself together and wander over using my best sober strut I can manage and exclaim "Hi!" A little too perky and obnoxious to be sober.

The police officer gives me a stern, disappointing look, his eyes raking over me from top to bottom in a slow, seemingly endless inspection. Although this time his inspection seems to take on a more intimate feel. Suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable, I cross my arms over my chest and turn my eyes away. His silence seems to go on forever as it slowly eats away at my drunken, false confidence. I nervously hiccup and quickly look up at him. He raises his eyebrows and stares at me. His judgmental stare forces me to turn my eyes downward in shame.

He turns to Jacob. "How much have you had to drink tonight, sir? I will only warn you once, do not lie to me or things will go bad for you."

"I only had two beers with dinner, officer," Jacob says nervously.

He gives Jacob that same, inspecting, stern look. "Can you please say the alphabet backwards for me? Start with the letter Z and work your way backwards."

"Z, y, x, w, v, u. t, s."

"That's good enough sir." Now he turns from Jacob back to me and stares me down again.

"How old are you, miss?" He has my license so I know he knows how old I am. Maybe he wants to see if I am going to lie to him. I lower my head again, fearing an underage drinking charge coming.

"19," I meekly squeak out.

He takes a step closer. The intensity in his eyes holds my gaze captive. I could swear, for just a split second, that I see something odd in his eyes. It almost looks like a flame. Just a flash of a flame. It must be all the Tequila I drank. His voice sounding serious and deadly, he regains my concentration as he talks slowly to emphasize importance. "Do you think, at 19 years old, you should be getting this drunk and wandering around the city like this?"

"No sir," I stammer and nervously shift my weight from foot to foot. I want to beg him to not arrest me, but the fierceness in his eyes keeps me silent.

He inspects my license again. "You are not from around here. Did you move recently?"

"I'm attending college and moved here about two months ago. I live with my roommate Patty," I gesture toward the back seat of the car.

He steps closer to me until his face is only inches from mine. I see how truly handsome he is. Peeking out from under his hat is tousled, dark brown hair. His eyes an unusual but beautiful ocher. His face is strong and well defined. His features look as if they are molded from granite. A perfectly symmetrical, masculine face with a strong jaw line, dimpled chin, rugged 5 o'clock shadow, and soft but masculine, expressive, pink lips. His skin a suntanned golden color. His beauty causes me to go weak at my knees and I lose my concentration.

His voice foreboding as he talks slowly. "Listen to me very carefully. You do not want to be wandering around this city late at night in such a vulnerable state. This is not a safe city!" Goosebumps raise on my arms, along with the hair on the back of my neck. I swallow hard.

"You made a very stupid choice tonight and put yourself in danger. Do you understand me?"

Tension rising in my belly, I open my mouth to answer him and again hiccup in reply. He must interpret my hiccup being from drunkenness, instead of from the nervous tension he is causing me, and shakes his head while he lets out a blast of air in disgust. He is making me so nervous that I fear I may throw up for a minute.

"I am not going to arrest you, or your friend passed out in the back seat, but I better never see you in this sort of state again. Do you understand me?

I nod my head.

"Answer me!"

"I will not get drunk again," I manage to squeak out.

He turns to face Jacob. "I am going to give you a police escort home. Follow me closely."

"That's okay. We don't need an escort. I can get the girls home safely by myself," Jacob says.

The officer takes several steps toward Jacob, closing the distance between them quickly. His jaw tightens and his voice grows dangerous. He locks Jacob's eyes with his intense stare. "I am now responsible for these girls and I will see that they get home safe and stay home for the rest of the night. Now do as I say!" Jacob swallows hard.

"You may both get back in your car, and follow me!" He barks as he begins to walk back to his patrol car.

Jacob sulks back to the car and gets in the driver's seat.

Rushing to obey Officer Cullen, I walk toward the car door and trip and begin to fall. The officer turns back toward me and, in a flash that seems to unnaturally fast, he is in front of me again, his outstretched arms catching me before I hit the ground. He gently picks me up, cradling me. His body is warm and toned as he holds me against him. My pulse is racing, my heart thumping hard, goosebumps ripple throughout my body as I stare into his beautiful, sparkling, ocher eyes. Something in them seems to soften.

He carries me over to the car, opens the passenger side door and gently deposits me in the front seat. He grabs my seat belt and leans over me to hook it into its holder. I can smell the natural, light scent of his body. Fresh and masculine. I close my eyes and relish in it for a moment. When I hear the click of my seat belt, I open my eyes and see a hint of a smile across his lips. My cheeks redden as he leans back out of the car and gently closes the door. He gets my address from Jacob and then pulls away in his car as we obey and follow him to my apartment.

* * *

We park on the street in front of my apartment, behind the officer's car. As I reach for the car door handle, the door swings open wide with the officer standing before me. I unbuckle my seat belt and, before I can step out of the car, he reaches in and picks me up in his arms. I feel his toned warmth against my body again and have a difficult time concentrating.

"I can walk myself," I know I'm sloshing my words.

"I think this is safer. Just until you get inside. We can't have you falling on the sidewalk and hurting yourself." He is no longer authoritative or stern. His voice takes on a soft, caring tone. His lips brush my ear as he speaks, I feel his warm breath flowing down my neck like a lazy river. It's soothing and inviting. Goosebumps ripple from my ear down the length of my neck. It makes me want to drown in his voice and sink into a state of pure bliss. I'm hoping he cannot see through my shirt that my nipples have hardened. I relax my body against his and lie my head against his chest.

He carries me toward the apartment door. Jacob gets out of the car and begins to follow us.

"Get in the passenger seat of my police car. After I carry both the girls inside to bed, I will take you home," the officer barks at Jacob without hesitating or looking back.

"I can just stay the night here and have Bella take me home in the morning. It's no big deal," Jacob says defiantly as he continues to follow us.

The officer stops short. Jacob almost rams into his back. He turns around to face Jacob. "I cannot allow you to do that. From the time I stopped you, these girls became my responsibility. Only those who live here will sleep here tonight. I will take those keys from you," he looks down at the car keys in Jacob's hand and waits until Jacob hands them over," and return them to the girls first thing in the morning," His tone is firm, unwavering.

Jacob stares at him, for a moment, with a clenched jaw. Then turns around and stomps back to the police car, getting in the passenger's seat and slamming the door closed.

"How did you get to me so fast? You were almost at your car when I fell. There's no possible way you could have run that fast to catch me like you did," I mumble as I fall asleep in Officer Cullen's arms as he carries me inside.

* * *

 **A/N: This is my very first fan fiction story and first story ever shared with readers. I had no idea writing for other's enjoyment and the feedback I receive would bring me such joy and encouragment!**

 **I am thankful to all who have read my story and who have left me reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2 Attack and Desertion

**A/N: I want to express my thanks to everyone who is following my story and my deepest thanks to all who took time to write a review. I had no idea I would enjoy writing so much more when I have readers who are enjoying my story. Your love of my story is providing me with more enjoyment in the writing of it. Thank you all and I hope you all continue to enjoy my story and please, continue to leave me reviews!**

 **FATED**

 **CHAPTER 2**

I wake to someone pounding on the front door. I throw off my covers and notice I'm naked. Usually, I like to sleep in a pajama top and bottoms so I'm startled finding myself with no clothes on. I quickly throw on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, and drag myself to the front door, rubbing my eyes, hurrying to stop that awful, confounded pounding.

I open the door and find Officer Cullen on the other side, smiling cheerfully while holding a cup of orange juice in his left hand and a bag from Dunkin Donuts in his right. At first, I find it annoying that someone is so cheery and perky in the morning while I have an awful hangover and just want to crawl under my bed and hide. Then I notice he is just as beautiful as he was last night. Dressed in a form-fitting collared, dark gray shirt and light gray pants. His ocher eyes shining radiantly, set below strong, dark brows. His smile makes me notice just how full and perfect his lips are. I lick my lips unintentionally.

"Good morning, Bella." I thought you may need some nourishment to help overcome the effects of last night." He raises both hands to emphasize the drink and food.

"What are you doing here, Officer Cullen?" I'm confused.

"I came to return your car keys to you, as promised."

"Huh?"

Edward frowns. "You don't remember last night, do you?" He raises an eyebrow.

I take a moment trying to remember and then shake my head. "Not all of it."

"I had to carry you to bed last night because you were too drunk to walk and I took your car keys to ensure you would not try to drive anywhere. If you let me come in, I can set this stuff down and give you your keys."

"Oh sure. Please come in." I back away from the door to allow him to enter and follow him over to my couch. He sets the orange juice and Dunkin Donuts bag on the coffee table. He gestures to the bag and juice. "Please, help yourself."

"Thank you," I am starving so I sit down and begin to eat while talking. "Please have a seat," I wave my hand to the couch I am sitting on. He sits down next to me.

Suddenly a thought pops into my mind. "You put me to bed, Officer Cullen?"

"Yes Bella, I did. You fell asleep in my arms so I carried you into the bedroom and laid you on your bed. Please, call me by my first name, Edward."

"I woke up this morning naked. Did you undress me?" My voice rises and becomes shaky with anger.

He raises up both eyebrows and stares at me. He speaks slowly to make sure I understand him clearly. "You woke up when I laid you on the bed last night and insisted on getting undressed for bed, so you took all your clothes off once you were under the covers. I said goodnight to you and then went back out to the car to retrieve Patty and put her in the other bedroom and then left, locking the door behind me."

"Oh," I blush shamefully at the thought of accusing him of undressing me and I lower my head.

He leans his head down slightly to look me in the eyes. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I've been better," I reply as I realize how horrible I must look. I run a shaky hand briskly through my tangled hair, trying to tame it. As I look around the living room I see books, backpacks, clothes, and even an old pizza box lying on the floor. The kitchen counter is covered in unwashed food bowls and food wrappers that never made it into the trash can. Then I realize he has carried me to my bed so he has seen how messy my bedroom is. It's twice as messy as the living room with more clothes on the floor and wads of crunched up notebook paper that have missed the trash can when I throw them. Oh no! He has seen what a slob I am!

He leans in closer to me, his voice serious, silencing my inner thoughts. "I meant what I said last night. You really do need to be more responsible. It's not safe to be walking around this city drunk. You placed yourself in possible danger last night."

I stare at him for a second, wondering what kind of danger he means. " I usually am very responsible. I only get drunk once in a while." I speak softly, apologetically.

"Once in a while?" His voice rises. "That's once in a while too much!"

"Is everything okay?" Patty comes paddling out of her bedroom and sees Edward talking to me and stops in her tracks.

"Yes, Patty. This is Officer Cullen. He stopped us last night while you were passed out in the back seat and gave us an escort home."

"Oh." Patty freezes, fright written across her face.

"Don't worry Patty. I'm not here to arrest you for underage drinking. I'm not even going to ask you two which irresponsible bar served three underage minors, although I leave the possibility of that question for the future. My concern was to make sure you got home safe last night and now I'm returning the car keys."

There's that authoritative voice back from last night. It really annoys me when he uses that tone. Does he think if he acts authoritative and bossy with me then I will listen to what he orders me to do? If he thinks that, he doesn't know me very well.

Patty breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, officer," Patty speaks with a sexy voice while she walks over to Edward in the most seductive walk I have ever seen her do. "I personally promise we will try to be good girls from now on." She bats her eyelashes.

Edward raises an eyebrow at Patty then turns his attention back to me. Patty, realizing she's been dismissed, scowls as she shuffles over to the refrigerator and rummages through it looking for something to drink.

"I want you to promise me you will be more careful in the future and keep yourself safe. Anything could have happened to you last night if I hadn't been there."

"I'll be more careful from now on, Officer Cullen, I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Bella, and I said it's Edward." He leans in closer to me and gently touches a stray piece of hair and tucks it behind my ear. I close my eyes as his touch brings a fuzzy feeling throughout my entire body. My loins begin to ache and my knees go slightly weak. I quickly forget how his authoritative attitude bothers me and think about how sexy he is instead. When I open my eyes, he is staring at my lips. For a moment I think he's going to kiss me.

"Until we meet again, Bella." His voice soft and alluring.

He gets up and walks out the door, closing it behind him. I am unable to speak because his touch has left me weak and shaky. I stare and watch him walk out the door.

I suddenly notice that Patty has been too quiet and I turn my head toward the kitchen, looking for her. There she stands next to the refrigerator, staring at me, a grin plastered on her face.

"Bella, I have never before seen any man have such an effect on you! It looks like he feels the same about you also!"

"Come on," I begin to argue and then realize my attraction to Edward is too obvious to pretend he doesn't affect me. "Do you think so?" My voice crackles and I begin to blush. So much for trying to hide my feelings from Patty. I just hope she doesn't grill me too much about him.

Patty rolls her eyes. "Of course he's interested in you. He couldn't keep his eyes, or his hands, off you! Since I missed all the action last night you need to fill me in, and don't leave out the part about how Officer Fine Ass came into your life!"

A loud laugh escapes my mouth. I can picture Patty calling Edward, Officer Fine Ass, to his face. That would stop him in his tracks when he is on his authoritative, bossy, you better do what I say kick. I snicker again, then I fill Patty in on the events she missed last night.

"He said it's not safe to walk around here at night?" Patty scrunched her eyebrows together and frowned. "What did he mean by that?"

"I don't know." I shrug my shoulders. "He didn't give me any reasons why. He just said it's dangerous and not safe walking around drunk and vulnerable. He repeated it again today!"

"It's probably a cop thing. Cops always think their towns are dangerous because they like to think they are the big macho men who keep everyone safe. He was probably trying to impress you."

"Maybe." Something inside me tells me I should trust Edward's warning.

Patty takes some aspirin and goes back to bed as I set up the coffee pot and start it perking and then jump in the shower. I let the warm water flow down my body, warming my skin and relaxing my muscles. As I am scrubbing my body with a sudsy bar of soap, I think about Patty's nickname for Edward and picture him walking out the door. "Hmm. He really does have a nice ass," I mumble to myself. A little tingle runs down my spine. I just may have finally found someone who does do something for me. Just when I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me.

* * *

The college's library is the biggest library in the county. On the bottom floor, the reception's desk, where the librarian sits, is located just inside the front doors. In the middle of the library, rows of tables and chairs are lined up next to each other. Computers are scattered throughout the library on several tables. The rest of the library's bottom floor consists of shelves, loaded with books.

The librarian, Ms. Fray, looks like what you would think of when you visualize a typical librarian. An old spinster woman who never smiles and shushes everyone constantly. She is a skinny, frail looking thing with thinning, gray hair that she keeps pinned up in a bun in the back of her head. She has thin, black framed glasses with a chain to secure them to her neck. She wears collared, eyelet blouses under old, gray cardigans and gray slacks and plain black flat shoes. She must have a bunch of outfits that look all the same because I always see her in the same outfit. When you first enter the library, she loves to pull her glasses off and stare at you with her intimidating scowl. She keeps everyone quiet, or at least using a low voice, because of that scowl.

I walk into the library and turn my head so I don't have to make eye contact with Ms. Fray, walking past her to the tables and chairs. The smell of parchment and dusty books fills my nostrils. After setting my backpack on one of the tables, I take a seat and look around. There are four other people sitting at the tables reading and a few more walking around the bookshelves. It's practically empty in the library compared to weekdays.

I take out my Spanish book and begin studying. After an hour of reading, I place the book into my backpack and give my neck and my arms a good, long stretch. I get up out of my chair, grab my backpack, throw it over my shoulder, and walk up the stairs to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, I walk straight to the back of the library where there is a little room with candy and soda dispensers, next to the restrooms. I notice no other people on this floor. I purchase a bottle of water from the soda machine and then browse the snacks in the snack machine. I punch in C5 to get my usual, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I realize every time I get a snack at this machine, I spend 5 minutes looking at all the snacks just to settle for my usual. I am getting too predictable in my boring, structured life. I like structure, and having routines does help keep me organized, but sometimes I wish something exciting would happen in my life.

There is a bulletin board in the snack room where people pin up ads for used textbooks for sale. I browse through the pin-ups while eating my peanut butter cups. I see an add for the English Literature book I need for next semester so I pull out a piece of notebook paper from my backpack and a pen and write down the person's phone number and place it in my pocket. I throw my Reese's wrapper in the trash can and then walk down the long middle aisle toward the stairs at the front of the building.

As I walk past the autobiography section, I see at the other end of the aisle, two policemen standing close, facing each other in what looks like the beginning of a heated argument. Their jaws are clenched tight, brows knitted together, one has a deadly stare, the other has his fist clenched. I can not hear what they were saying. I pause for a moment, trying to get a better look at the tall man, and when he turns slightly more toward me, I see that it is Edward. I lose all thought of what I am doing and suddenly find myself standing quietly, staring at the two.

Edward begins to walk away. The other officer grabs his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Edward turns around to face the officer, then quickly swings his arm around and brings it down fast, breaking free of him. They are so engrossed in their conversation they don't notice me. Then Edward does something odd. He stops talking and leans his head back to turn his nose up high in the air and sniffs. Two long sniffs and then I see a smile cross his lips. He speaks loud enough so I can hear him. "Hello, Bella. Are you feeling better?"

I am speechless, standing frozen in place, trying to understand how he knows I'm here when he never turned his head in my direction. The other officer walks away and Edward walks toward me, smiling. My heart beats faster as he nears me.

"Officer Cullen..."

"Edward," he corrects me as he stares at me with those intense eyes.

"Edward", I correct myself. "What are you doing at the college library? Did someone call for the police?" I blush under his steady stare. My mind is racing a mile a minute. I tell myself to calm down before I start stammering and sounding like an idiot.

He stops just a foot or two from me. "I'm not here on police business, Bella. I am here to talk to Officer Tabers. I may help him teach some of his Criminal Justice classes this semester." His voice is warm and deep. "Do you take any of the Criminal Justice or Self-defense classes, Bella?"

"I'm taking Self Defense 100 starting next Monday. Are you teaching that class?"

"Hmm. I don't know about that one yet. I will have to see about that." Edward gives a thoughtful stare then settles his sparkling, beautiful eyes down upon me once more. Every time he looks at me, I get goosebumps. Sometimes I worry I'm going to actually drool.

"Bella!" I hear my name being called from the staircase. I look over and see Jacob coming up the stairs. He trots up the rest of the stairs and jogs up to Edward and I. He comes up close to me, between Edward and I with his back to Edward, ignoring his presence. "I didn't know you were coming to the library today. I would have hitched a ride with you." It's obvious Jacob is snubbing Edward and making the conversation uncomfortable for me, but Edward seems like he keeps his cool in awkward situations.

"I got sick of sitting cooped up at home and needed a new space to study. It was a last minute decision. I didn't think to call you to see if you wanted to come with me. Sorry, Jacob."

"That's okay. What are you going to do now?"

I look at Edward hoping he will jump in and take me away.

"I'm sorry Bella but I have to get back to the precinct. Hopefully, I will see you next Monday in Self Defense class, if not before then." Our eyes momentarily meet before he walks away.

"Is he teaching one of your classes, Bella?"

"He may be, Jacob. He's not sure yet."

"Hmfp." Jacob watches Edward walk away with a scowl on his face. I laugh and then grab Jacob's arm and pull him along. Come on grouchy, let's go get something to eat at the cafeteria.

* * *

The next week goes relatively uneventful. I cannot stop myself from thinking about Edward each day, hoping I will run into him, but as the week passes, I do not see him.

I'm sitting in Creative Writing class, watching the clock count down with anticipation, wondering if Edward will be teaching my next class. On one hand, I'm excited about the possibility of seeing him again, but I also have trepidation from thinking about him watching me...no...teaching me, how to perform physical movements when I am so clumsy and non-athletic. I most likely am going to fall and not be able to perform the moves. How embarrassing. Once he sees how awkward I am he will not want to even look at me again.

The teacher signals the end of class and everyone gets up and leaves. I take a deep breath, gathering my courage, and slowly gather my books, placing them in my backpack and walk out the door. I am walking down the hall with butterflies building up in my belly. I take one last deep breath a few feet from the gym door and walk in.

I see everyone standing in a line but I cannot see past them to see who the instructor is. I lower my head and make my way to the line of people and stand at the end. I'm too nervous to look up to see if Edward is standing in front of everyone. My stomach is getting butterflies and goosebumps are popping up on my arms in anticipation. After a few seconds, I force myself to look up. Standing in front of everyone is... not Edward. My heart sinks as I unintentionally let out a sigh. He is not teaching today's class, I guess. I'm disappointed.

"Welcome everyone to Self Defense 100. I am Officer Tabers of the Troy Police Department. I will be teaching you some basic moves in order to defend yourself using physical force. I am co-teaching this class with my coworker Officer Cullen. He is currently running a few minutes late."

At the mention of Edward's name, I snap my head up, straighten my back, and pull my shoulders back, perfecting my posture. So he is teaching this class! My heart picks up a beat.

"Self Defense is defined as a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm," Officer Tabers explains.

What is he saying? I have no idea. I did not hear a word after Edward's name. I can only hear my heart beating at this moment.

"We will be teaching you several moves...Here comes Officer Cullen now."

I tell myself not to turn around and look too anxious to see him so I keep myself facing front, listening for his footsteps behind me. I can feel him getting closer.

Officer Tabers waits quietly for Edward to walk up to and stand beside him. "Everyone this is Officer Cullen. We will be teaching this class together."

I see he is just as gorgeous as ever. His tousled reddish-brown hair is shiny and beautiful. His uniform outlines his muscles perfectly. He looks majestic.

Suddenly everyone is moving. I panic. I wasn't paying attention and don't know what my teacher said to do! I am looking around at everyone trying to figure out what is happening. A guy walks up to me. He is 5' 11" lanky, with some muscles in his arms. He has straight dirty blonde hair, that is styled flat and ends above his shoulders. He is dressed in dark jeans and a white t-shirt, a gold chain hanging from his neck. He looks like he has a cocky, disapproving expression on his face, but that could just be my imagination. I know I tend to be self-conscious and think people don't like me right away.

"Do you want to be partners?" he says in a monotone, dry voice.

I look around again and realize everyone is pairing up. "Sure." I don't even know his name, but I don't care. My head is concentrating upon Edward too much to make idle chit chat anyway. My partner stands next to me. I face front hoping I didn't miss the teacher describe what we are supposed to be doing.

"I will be telling you what to do while Officer Cullen walks around helping you get into the correct positions," Says Officer Tabers.

My stomach butterflies come back thinking about Edward coming around helping us get into positions. I truly hope I don't do anything to embarrass myself. Please don't let me embarrass myself.

"Now that everyone is facing me, standing next to their partners, I want you to now face your partner. You should be standing approximately three feet apart. Your feet placed hip-width apart. Those of you facing toward the door will be the victims. Those of you facing the windows will be the attackers. The first thing you need to do when in a position where you are going to be attacked, is to demonstrate that you are not an easy target. You will do that by shouting loudly. So the attacker will grab their partners wrist and the partner will shout loudly Back Off. As loud as you can."

Great, I have to be attacked first. There goes my anxiety rising again. My partner isn't helping my anxiety by not smiling or talking. He is just staring at me like a guard dog.

"I want the attackers to reach out and grab your partner's left wrist, taking a step toward them, and the victims to shout as loud as they can to back off. Start now!"

My partner grabs my wrist so quickly and aggressively that I gasp. It doesn't hurt, but it does surprise me. His face cold as a statue. "Back off," I manage to breathe out, not loud at all but at least it wasn't a whisper. My partner rolls his eyes at me and then let's go of my wrist.

"That does two things. It shows them you will not be an easy target, and it gets people's attention for help. Next step, now that the attacker is distracted, is to simply move your hand all around like you are playing keep away. Many people make the mistake of trying to pull out of someone's grasp, but if they are stronger than you, that won't work. If you twist your hand around, it will break the contact. After you have broken contact, take both your hands and push on the attacker's chest as hard as you can, pushing him back. This should give you enough time to run away. I want you to try the exercise again, adding the extra moves, now."

I'm not even sure I can remember all the instructions, but my partner doesn't look like he is going to give me time to think about it. He grabs my left wrist and holds it in an iron grip that hurts. I look at him shocked. I see a smirk on his face. Now I'm pissed and begin to wriggle my hand and wrist around as fierce as I can. He tightens his grip on my wrist causing more pain. I fight harder, determined to break free and am pleasantly surprised to find I wiggle out of his grip. I shove him back with a push on the chest with the palms of my hands. I push hard, but only move his one foot back a couple inches, which he quickly places back into position. I rub my sore wrist while staring at him with disgust.

I suddenly feel a warm hand on my back and turn my head to look behind me.

"Hi, Bella. How are you today?" Edward asks in a deep, heart-melting voice.

I take a second to breathe in his deep, manly scent. No other man has ever smelled like him. It's intoxicating. I then look up into his sparkling ocher eyes and smile. I have to remind myself to breathe.

"I'm good. I'm glad to see you're teaching this class." My voice comes out a bit deep and raspy. Why do I allow myself to be so affected by this man?

"You are? I am glad I am teaching it also." The sweetest smile crosses his lips.

I imagine what it would be like to run my lips across that sweet smile.

"I am looking forward to being able to see you on the days you have this class."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you too, Edward." We share an intense moment, our eyes staring deep into each other's souls.

"Everyone did very well. Now I want you to practice that a couple more times then we will switch and give the victims a chance to attack and vice versa," Officer Tabers announces.

I give Edward a pleading look hoping he will catch on that I do not want him to watch me doing these exercises for fear of embarrassment. He must have caught on because he quickly walks to the other side of the class.

When I turn back toward my partner, he is watching Edward walk away with a scowl firmly planted on his face. What is his problem?

We practice two more times, each time my partner grabs my wrist harder and tries to hold it firm, and each time I fight as hard as I can to break free and succeed. I'm not about to let this jerk get the best of me.

'When the teacher announces it is time to switch roles, I grab my partners wrist. He pushes his hand down fast and breaks out of my grip immediately. He steps up too close into my face and screams back off so intense that a drop of spit flies out of his mouth and onto my upper lip. The next thing I know, I'm flying backward, with a crushing pain in my chest. I hit the floor so hard I let out a loud gasp of air.

Edward races to my side. "Are you hurt, Bella?"

"I'm okay. I just need to catch my breath." I lay there in shock staring up at my partner. He looks down at me with satisfaction and pride written on his face.

I watch that look get knocked off his face as I see him suddenly fall to the floor face down, with Edward on top of him. Edward's hand is pinning my partner's head to the floor, his knee planted firmly in his back. His other hand is pulling the guy's arm back behind him. Edward's face is taught and red with anger. His eyes are red! I'm not sure if it's the gymnasium's lights making them look that way. I can see his teeth clench between tight lips as he whispers to my partner. I swear I think I see a slight puff of steam come out of Edward's mouth. Whatever he is whispering causes a terrified look on the guy's face. A warm feeling comes over me at the thought of Edward protecting me, standing up for me. I don't like violence, but I am hurt, and the guy did it on purpose, so I don't feel sorry for him.

Officer Tabers comes over and grabs Edward's arm, trying to pull him off the guy. Officer Tabers then whispers into Edward's ear for several minutes, until Edward releases the guy. Officer Tabers helps the guy stand up and walks him out of the classroom by the arm. Edward keeps his head down, not facing anyone, and then quickly walks out the side door that exits to the outside. While the other students look around wondering what they should do, I pick myself up off the floor and rush out the door, following Edward, trying to not think about the pain in my back and neck.

"Edward! Edward!" He keeps walking at a fast pace, so I run to catch up to him and grab him by his arm. "Edward stop!"

He stops and turns around to face me.

"Thank you for defending me," I gasp out, catching my breath.

"Bella. You shouldn't be around me. I'm a bad person. I'm no good for you."

"But you were defending me. He deserved it."

"It's not just about what happened today. You need to stay away from me so you can lead a normal, safe life." He begins to walk away from me.

"Wait! I'm glad you defended me. That guy was a jerk and wanted to hurt me." I begin to trot after him. "Please don't walk away so fast I can't keep up." Edward continues walking. "Edward. I'm hurt!" I yell in a high pitched, pain-filled voice.

Edward stops dead in his tracks, turns around, and in a flash he is by my side. "He hurt you? I'll kill...What hurts? Tell me. Where did he hurt you?" Edward begins checking my arms, wrists, neck.

"Ouch!" I cry when Edward pushes lightly on my neck.

"You're neck? He hurt your neck?"

"And my back."

In one graceful motion, Edward picks me up in his arms, cradling me and walks to the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"To the hospital. You need to get checked out."

"Edward, I am not going to the hospital! I am fine! Seriously, I don't need the hospital. My back and neck are just a little sore."

Edward stops walking and looks at me. "Are you sure, Bella?"

"Yes, Edward. I am sure. I just need to rest."

"I'm taking you home to take care of you. Then I'm going to deal with _that guy_ later."

* * *

Edward gently places me in the passenger seat of my truck and shuts the door. As he is walking in front of the truck to get to the driver's side, he stops walking and looks like he is contemplating something. After a few seconds, he pulls out his phone and calls someone. After a quick conversation, he then gets in the truck, starts it, and pulls away.

"I'm really angry at myself for losing my temper like that. I thought I had good control of my temper, until you came along."

"Wait. So you're blaming me because you have a bad temper? You didn't even hurt that guy."

"You don't understand Bella, I cannot lose my temper. I am very dangerous when I lose my temper. I could have seriously hurt him. I almost did! I can't let that happen. I was furious when I saw what he did to you. Furious enough to almost lose control."

"What would have happened if you lost control?" Now I'm intrigued, hoping to find out some of the mysteries that surround this man.

"Nothing good." I see Edward's hands clench on the steering wheel.

After a period of long silence and Edward looking like he is concentrating, he speaks in a soft tone. "I don't know why I can't stop thinking about you. I can't leave you alone."

"Then don't leave me alone, Edward." I slide myself over on the bench truck seat, closer to Edward.

"My world's too dangerous for you Bella. You are better off without me." His voice is soft, almost apologetic.

"I'm not some innocent breakable thing like you think I am." Edward gives me a sideways glance, calling my bluff.

When we get to my apartment, Edward pulls the truck up to the curb and parks, then turns in his seat to face me. "I want to stay and take care of you, but I'm not someone you should be around, Bella. There is too much danger around me and I don't want you to become a part of that. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Don't you think that is something that should be up to me to decide?"

Edward gets out of the truck and opens up the passenger door for me. "Do you need help getting out, Bella?"

"No. I've got it." I'm pissed off and my voice is sharp. I get out of the truck and we start a slow walk up the long flight of stairs leading to my apartment. I am silent with anger and hurt. If my back wasn't hurting as much I would stomp up the stairs. I'm looking down, watching where I'm walking. When I look up, I see a man waiting on my porch. When he sees me, he walks down the stairs to meet me.

"Bella, are you alright?"

"Dad? I'm fine dad. What are you doing here?"

Charlie looks at Edward.

"Hello, Mr. Swan. I'm Officer Cullen." Edward reaches out and shakes Charlie's hand.

"Thank you for taking care of my Bella, Officer Cullen. I'm glad you had the school call me to let me know she was hurt."

I turn to Edward with fury in my eyes. "You had the school call my dad?!" I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Come on Bella, let's get you inside. Officer Cullen said you hurt your back and neck, is that right?"

I turn to face Charlie. "Dad, really I'm fine. I'm just a little sore. There was no need for you to come here." Then I turn to face Edward again. "You didn't have to send for my dad, Edward!"

"I didn't want you home alone. You need someone to look after you for a day or two to make sure you are okay, especially since you refused to go to the hospital."

"Bella," Charlie interjects. "Maybe you should go get checked out."

"Really dad, I'm fine. I just need to rest for a couple of days."

Charlie takes my arm and leads me the rest of the way up the path.

"I hope you are feeling better soon Bella," Edward calls to me as he walks back down the path and walks down the sidewalk toward the school.

When Charlie and I reach the door, he holds it open for me to enter, I turn back to watch Edward walking away and then step inside, broken-hearted.


	3. Chapter 3 Slutting it up

**Fated**

 **Chapter 3**

 **A/N: I want to thank my Beta for helping me with this chapter and preventing me from uploading something that would have been of a subpar level. Thank you, StormyMonday! Also thank you to all who have read my stories and left reviews. I love reading them!**

* * *

"How are you feeling today, Bella?" Charlie asks as I walk into the kitchen. I pour myself a cup of coffee and take a seat at the kitchen table between him and Patty.

" I'm feeling much better. Staying home and resting this week has really helped me heal. I'm ready to go back to college and work tomorrow."

Charlie frowns. "Are you sure? Don't push yourself. If you need more time, take it." I can tell he misses me since I've moved closer to college. He's been lonely since my mother died 2 years ago, but he refuses to date. He says no one can hold a candle to my mom. I hope someday that I am lucky enough to fall in love as deeply as my parents did with each other.

"I'm sure, dad. I really can't afford to miss any more class time or work." I point at the sugar bowl in front of Patty and she slides it over to me. "Shouldn't you be getting back to work also?" Charlie is the sheriff in Cazenovia, New York. He doesn't get paid a lot, but he gets to make his own hours and comes and goes as he pleases.

"Cazenovia's a small town, Bella. There really isn't that much going on. I could be gone two weeks before anyone would notice. But, if you are going back to school and work tomorrow, I guess I will head back home early tomorrow morning."

"You know you can visit anytime dad, right?" To not make Charlie uncomfortable, I avoid his eyes as I talk. Charlie and I are not comfortable expressing our feelings with each other.

"Yes. I know. Maybe I will surprise you again sometime soon."

"I'd like that."

"Have you heard from Edward?" Patty interjects.

I lower my eyes and stare into my coffee cup. "No, and don't expect to. He made it clear that he wants me to stay away from him. He thinks his job is too dangerous for me to be around him."

"He may be right, Bella. Being a cop, depending upon the city, can be a dangerous job." Charlie is always trying to keep me safe.

"I don't think his resolve will last. From what I've seen, he's infatuated with you and won't be able to stay away from you for too long. Why not get yourself all slutted up and parade around in front of him. Show him what he's missing out on. That should do it. " Patty says.

Charlie sticks a finger in each ear. "I don't want to hear this." Patty snickers at him.

"That is so not me, Patty." Placing my elbow on the table, I prop my head up, leaning my chin on my fist, trying to imagine what it would be like to dress seductively. I would probably be uncomfortable with the situation.

Remembering the phone number I wrote down at the library, I jump up and walk to the hall closet. Searching for my jacket, I find it and pull the piece of paper out of the pocket. I hold the piece of paper in my left hand while punching in the numbers with my right. After two rings a woman's voice answers.

"Hello."

"Hi. Is this the person selling the English Literature book?"

"Yes, it is. Are you interested in it?"

"What shape is it in?"

"It's never been used. I'm asking $30 for it."

"That's a good price. I'll take it. Where can I meet you?"

"Can you meet me in 2 hours at the college library? At the tables past the receptionist's desk?"

"Sure. I'll see you in 2 hours!"

"Okay, I will see you soon. Bye, Bella."

"Bye." I hang up. " Hmm... I never told her my name," I say to myself.

* * *

Ms. Fray's scowl is boring into the side of my head as I walk past her, pretending not to notice. There is only one other person in the library, standing by the large tables. It's a woman, not much older than I. She is pixie-like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair is deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction. When she sees me, she smiles deeply. Her long legs move gracefully as she walks toward me, in long sweeping strides. She reaches out her hand and I shake it.

"Hi! I'm Alice!"

"I'm Bella, Hi."

"I know who you are, Bella."

"You do?"

"We both have a common friend, Edward."

"You know Edward?"

"I'm his partner at the police department. We're very close. He's told me about you."

"Really?" I'm surprised to hear that Edward has spoken to someone about me.

"Yes. He likes you. Why don't we have a seat." Alice motions toward the chairs at the tables. We both pull out a chair and sit next to each other. Alice grabs the English Literature book on the table and slides it in front of me.

"Here's the book. Is this the one you need?"

The cover is still stiff as I open it and flip through the pages. It looks new. "Yes, it is, Thanks." I pull cash out of my pocket and hold out $30 to her.

"Keep it, Bella. The book is yours." She waves my money away with her hand then turns to look me in the eyes. "Edward is not one to date much. He puts all of his time into his work, so when I hear him talk about a girl he has just met, I know she must be something special."

My voice lowers to a somber whisper. "Edward said that I should not be around him because it's too dangerous."

"That's Edward. He can never just relax and let himself be happy. He always has to worry about everyone else. Sometimes, Edward gets so caught up in his work being a cop and protecting people, that he forgets to leave his authority at the door when he is off duty." Alice shakes her head.

"I'd say that sounds about exactly right, but what can I do about it?"

"Don't let him boss you around. Go to him and tell him that you are a grown woman and can make up your own mind whether you are worried about being put in danger. If you stand up to him, he will back down." Alice places her hand on my shoulder. "He said you two have a class together, is that right?"

"Yes. He teaches my Self Defense class."

"Perfect. You can talk to him after class."

"Do you really think I will be able to change his mind?"

"I know you will. I've seen it."

I stay quiet contemplating her words.

"I like you, Bella. I think we are going to be good friends."

"I like you too and I think you're right!"

Alice grabs a piece of paper sitting in a tray on the table, and a pen, and scribbles her phone number down, and hands the paper to me. "Here. Take my number. If you need any more advice from me, or just want to chat, give me a call."

"Thanks. I'll let you know what happens with Edward." I take the piece of paper and tuck it safely in my jeans pocket.

"I wish I could stay and chat with you longer, but I'm on duty and have to get going."

I notice Alice is not in police inform.

"Edward and I are in a special unit on the police force that does not require us to wear a uniform for some of the work we do. It's our job and the type of criminals we deal with that makes Edward worry about your safety, but you couldn't be safer with him protecting you. Good luck and if you need me to knock some sense in him, I'll do it, just let me know." Alice stands up and pushes her chair in. I do the same. As she gives me a tight hug, a chill wraps itself around me as I hug her back. Her skin is icy cold.

* * *

"I'm going to miss you, Bella."

"I'm going to miss you too, dad. I think Jacob and Patty are going to miss you too. They enjoyed playing board games with us all week." I give Charlie a quick hug. I can tell he doesn't want to go.

"Take care of my little girl, Patty," Charlie says as he gives Patty a hug.

Patty and I watch Charlie get in his blue Ford Taurus and drive off, our arms locked around each other, waving goodbye.

I turn to look at Patty. "I was hoping he would leave early enough so I could ask you for a favor."

Patty looks inquisitive. "What is it?"

"Could you help me to dress a little more...um. Sexy?"

Patty's eyes light up like it's Christmas. "Bella! Are you serious? I thought the day would never come! I can help you..."

"Woa! Hold up!" My arm is outstretched, palm out, facing Patty. " I just want to dress a bit sexy. Not go crazy with it."

"Sure. We can do that. So, Operation Slut it up for Officer Fine Ass is on?"

I laugh. "Oh, Patty. Is this even worth trying? I don't know how to be sexy. I've never even had a boyfriend. I hope he can't tell I'm still a virgin. If he found that out, he would really stay away from you think I can pull this off?"

"Of course you can, Bella. Take a deep breath and relax. Honestly, it doesn't really take much to turn a guy's eye. " If he isn't giving you the attention you want, make him jealous. Talk to another guy and look like you're flirting. You know, stand close to him while you're talking, bat your eyelashes, brush your hair back. Those kinds of things."

"That is so not me. I don't know if I can do this, but I'm going to try."

"Come on. We have a lot of work to do! " Patty takes my arm and drags me into the house and upstairs to her bedroom. She tosses a dress at me. It's a plain, black, backless dress. I strip off my clothes and pull the dress on over my head. I'm pleased with the way it looks on my reflection in the mirror. It is form fitting and ends thigh high. A bit sexier than I'm used to dressing, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Patty rummages around on her closet floor and comes out holding two black leather, ankle-high boots. "Sit down and hold up your foot," she orders. She squeezes one boot onto my foot. It's a little tight. Same with the other one. Next, Patty drags me into the bathroom and starts running a curling iron through my hair. As she is doing that, she uses her free hand to start gathering some makeup on the vanity and organizing it.

"I don't want a lot of makeup. Just a little."

* * *

Eyes on either side of me are turning in my direction, surprise etched in their faces, as I walk down the hall, feeling more self-conscious than ever. Craig, leaning against a door, eyes me up and down without so much as a word. As I pass, a chill races up my spine.

After several tugs, the heavy gymnasium doors finally give way. Loud clacking sounds echo off the gymnasium walls as my boots hit the floor. Slowing my pace to quiet the sound, I reach the end of the line of students and take my place. Edward stands at the front of the class next to Officer Tabers, looking majestically beautiful in his police uniform. His statuesque elegance is stunning.

Edward's gaze rolls along the line of students, glancing over me at the end, then he looks away. His eyes quickly dart back to me and settle upon my new attire, looking lost in thought. "I hope that's a good sign," I think to myself.

"Everyone pair up for exercises," Officer Tabers orders.

As everyone is shuffling around, my partner from last time jumps in front of me and stands, staring at me with the same sneer on his face like last time. I'm about to tell him to take a hike when Edward comes up alongside him. Edward grabs his arm roughly and whispers in his ear. The muscles around Edward's jaw tighten. The guy pulls his arm out of Edward's grasp and walks away to find another partner.

Edward glances around the room. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a partner, Bella," He says as he moves closer to me and smiles. I return the smile.

Following Officer Tabers' instructions. Edward grabs my wrists, one in each hand. I force my hands down hard, breaking free of Edward's grip. Trying to show Edward that I am not weak, I use more physical assertion then I need.

"That was really good, Bella. I'm impressed. Are you feeling better?" Sincere concern shows in his Ocher eyes.

"Yes, much. Thanks for asking." A hint of sarcasm in my voice. Now it's my turn to be the aggressor. I grab Edward's wrists in my hands and hold them tight. Instead of breaking free, Edward moves in closer to me.

"Bella, I wanted to call you a hundred times and ask how you were, but I think it's better this way."

"Better for who?" You?"

"Me? No. Better for you! I'm trying to be chivalrous!"

I let go of Edward's wrists and use an icy tone in my voice. "Chivalrous? By not allowing me to make my own decisions? I am a strong, independent, young woman, Edward, and I can take care of myself and make my own decisions! You are only five years my senior yet you treat me like a child!"

"What am I doing?" I think to myself. I came here to entice him, not fight with him. I have to try to restart this conversation. I straighten my posture pushing my chest out and flick my hair back with my hand, the way Patty showed me. I see the guy next to us turn toward me and eye me up and down. I look back at Edward, trying to project confidence and sex appeal.

Edward's jaw tightens as he lowers his voice and steps in closer to me. "Aren't you having enough trouble getting attacked without asking for more trouble by dressing that way?"

I am horrified. How could he say that to me? This isn't what I wanted. I feel so rejected, so embarrassed. I do the last thing I wanted to do, and run out the gymnasium door onto the school lawn, like a child. I walk up to a wooden shed on the property and lean against it, arms crossed over my chest, tears filling my eyes.

After a minute I feel a warm hand on my back. "Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Edward walks around to face me. I turn my head towards the shed so he cannot see my tears.

"Hurting you is the last thing I want to do, I promise, Bella. I'm...doing this... all wrong. I just want to protect you and instead, I'm hurting you! Please forgive me." Gently grasping my chin with his thumb and forefinger, he turns my head toward him.

"Edward. You have to stop treating me like a child. You can't order me to not be around you, and then come up to me and comment on how I dress, or anything else for that matter. You have to stop acting so bossy. I'm never going to do something just because you tell me to do it. In fact, that would make me want to not do it!"

"So I'm finding out." Edward oozes sarcastically as he frowns. "I'm sorry Bella. Being a cop makes me have to make decisions for others. Many times those decisions are life or death ones. I have to learn when to turn off being a cop. I do respect you and know you can make your own decisions. Besides, regardless of how hard I try to stay away from you, I cannot." Edward sighs.

He tucks a flyaway piece of my hair behind my ear. Then he wipes away my tears with his fingers and looks into my eyes. "I promise I will stop treating you like a child, but I cannot promise I will stop trying to protect you. Does that sound good?"

"Yes," I nod my head. All of my anger and sadness gone. So happy that we are finally communicating as equals.

His lips look so lush and full, I wish I was kissing them. I bring my lips in close to his, closing my eyes, I brush my lips up against his. Part of me wants to take the lead, but another part of me is screaming for him to take over and save me from the fright of not knowing what I'm doing. I press my lips against his a little harder. As if he can tell what I'm thinking, he wraps his arms around me and places his hands against the small of my back, pulling me in closer to him, kissing me deeper. His sweet, manly scent is like a drug. I'm lost in time and space, only feeling his lips on mine and his warm arms wrapped around me. No thoughts running through my mind. No fears. Just something that feels so right. I wrap my arms around his neck as he holds me close, kissing me.

After a few minutes, he gently pulls his lips away from mine and talks softly. "As much as I want to continue kissing you, I'm afraid if anyone sees us, I may lose my job teaching this class."

I nod and let my arms drop from around Edward's neck and begin to pull myself away. He keeps holding onto me with his arms around my waist. "Can we continue this later, tonight?"

"I have to work."

"What time do you get done?"

"Not until 11:00pm. Do you want to come over to my house around 11:15?"

"I'll be there," Edward says in the sexiest voice I've ever heard, plants a soft kiss on my forehead, and then lets me go. We both walk back into class and continue the exercises. At the end of class, we say goodbye to each other, gazing into each other's eyes for a second before I walk away to my next class.


	4. Chapter 4 Let Loose the Beast

**Fated**

 **Chapter 4**

 **A/N:**

 **I am having so much more fun writing my story now that I am sharing it with others and communicating with my readers about it. I absolutely love the reviews and chatting with all of you! I have changed and improved my story a few times based on readers comments and suggestions, so please keep them coming!**

 **I want to thank Snoopylover60 for unintentionally naming Bella's gym partner. :)**

* * *

I'm standing in the middle of the street, fear running down my spine like a set of icy claws. Panic rising in my chest. It's past midnight, the street lit only by the low flicker of a dimmed street lamp. There is no traffic, only a few parked cars. I hear leaves rustling against each other as a breeze lightly blows across the trees, signaling the coming of a rainstorm. I turn my head in every direction, looking, listening. I can sense he is close. Goosebumps ripple across my skin. I'm not sure if they're from the cold night air or from my rising fear.

Then I spot him. Two city blocks down, standing in the middle of the street, facing my direction. I cannot see his eyes, but I can feel him staring straight through me. A motionless, black silhouette. Tall, muscular, and daunting. His silhouette suggests a uniform and a hat with a straight rim.

I'm frozen. Unable to move or breathe. I don't know for how long. My heart thumps loudly inside my chest. My eyes are locked upon him, unable to look away. I scream inside my head. "Run! He is going to get you! Run!" But my body doesn't respond.

I know if I scream out loud, no one will come to help. Even if all my neighbors were not asleep, no one would dare oppose him. He's here to take me away to be with him. I stand here praying he will not come closer. If I stay frozen, maybe he will walk away. I listen to my heart beat silently in the night and realize all the insects have grown quiet.

Suddenly, he bolts into a fast gallop towards me. It isn't a walk. It isn't a run. It's much faster. The shock of his unnaturally fast movement causes me to take a good minute to convince my body to unfreeze and run. When I finally do move, I run faster than I ever have in my life.

I hit the first of a long set of steps up the front walk to my house, in just seconds. Too afraid to look back, I keep running. I finally make it to the top step. My heart is pounding loud and fast. I have my right foot on the porch, my left foot still on the top step. As I pick up my left foot, I feel a strong hand grasp my ankle, locking tight around it. I look back. The man has hold of me. I cannot see the details of his face, they are lost in a dark shadow.

He begins to slowly pull me down the steps by my ankle, one step at a time. I grasp onto the porch railing, my fingers locking tightly around the spindle. Am I screaming for help? I think I am, but I hear no sound. I watch the front door of the house, hoping someone will come to rescue me, but the door remains closed. My fingers begin to ache as I clutch them tightly around the railing. A couple more tugs on my ankle and my hands are ripped free. Now I am being picked up and placed over his shoulder. I feel warmth between our two bodies, as mine presses up against his. His body feels unnaturally hot. I am entirely aware of my breasts heaving against his back as a shudder rolls through my body. I let out a long breath of air, sounding defeat, as I surrender and allow my body to go limp. I cannot escape him now. All is lost. As he slowly carries me away, I look back at my house and wonder why I didn't fight harder.

I wake up in a cold sweat, my body shaking, and I'm out of breath. I reach over and turn on my Himalayan Salt Lamp. A soft orange glow spreads across the room, allowing me to make a quick check of the room. I am alone. I am safe, for now. My heart is racing, but it's not just from fear. There is something else mixed in there, causing my reaction. I know what it is, I just don't want to admit it to myself. It's the excitement of his foreboding, powerful, presence. It's a feeling of belonging to someone so completely, that it takes over all your senses and your mind and body, and at the same time, fearing that feeling. He knows I belong to him, and he will not stop until he has me all to himself.

I get mad at myself for reacting so strongly to the same dream over and over again. You would think by now I would be used to it. I have been having this same dream since I was 13 years old.

I get out of bed, still half asleep, and stumble my way to the bathroom, stubbing my big toe on a box of books I left on the floor of my bedroom, near the door. I cuss at myself for being clumsy and rub my sore toe while hopping around on the other foot. Then I make my way to the bathroom, lean over the sink, turn on the cold water and splash it over my face. How can I be so terrified and yet also filled with such a deep desire for this mysterious stranger?

"Bella, get your shit together," I tell myself. "It was just a dream."

I try to shake off the memories of the dream and check my alarm clock. It's 5pm. I must have fallen asleep while studying and only have 1 hour until I have to be at work.

* * *

I waitress at the Melody Inn diner on route 46. The customers are few and far in-between, and the tips low, but my hours are flexible, allowing me to work around my class schedule. Tonight I'm closing alone. I'm distracted at work because all I can think about is that Edward will be at my house at 11:15pm!

I shut off the coffee pot and start cleaning up. I'm wiping each table down and retrieving the remaining tips off of the tables, stuffing them into my pants pocket. I ring out the cash register and place the money in the safe in the back room, then lock up the back door and shut off the lights. I work my way towards the front of the diner, shutting off lights as I go. I grab my purse from behind the counter, walk out the diner's main doors, and close them behind me, locking them from the outside using a key.

I'm briskly rubbing my arms, trying to warm them from the cool night breeze, as I walk around the side of the diner, making my way toward the back parking lot. I take a look around at my surroundings and breathe in a deep breath of fresh air. The street is quiet. I feel like I have the entire world all to myself on quiet nights like this.

I'm about 20 feet from the back parking lot when goosebumps begin to rise on my arms. That's my body's way of telling me something is not right. I suddenly get the feeling that I'm not alone. I've learned from experience, if my body is telling me something bad is going to happen, then I can bet that something bad will happen. I keep checking behind me as I speed up my pace. My stomach is knotting up on me, another warning sign from my intuition.

As I approach my car I take one more look behind me and slam into someone. I whip my head around and see a man wearing a black overcoat and blue jeans. He's blocking my path to my car.

"You shouldn't be out walking around at night without your bodyguard," a deep, rough voice warns. I look up into his face. It's my gym partner, staring down at me with the same nasty sneer on his face as before!

I'm so frightened my voice comes out practically a whisper. My stomach is aching. "What do you want from me?"

"I want that sweet-smelling blood of yours." He leans in close and takes a long, slow sniff. I'm frozen, silenced. "I bet you think you are something else, walking around with your special abilities, smelling like you do, and your boyfriend not allowing anyone to harm you. Forcing me to behave unnaturally isn't fair. No one could resist you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Please just leave me alone!" He must be insane.

"Leave you alone? I'll leave you alone, when your body is drained of every drop of that sweet nectar!" He lets out a maniacal laugh and opens his mouth wide. I watch in horror as fangs drop down over top of his teeth.

I let out a blood-curdling scream, then turn around and run back toward the front of the diner, hearing him scream from behind me, "You can't outrun me!"

Pushing my legs to run faster than they ever have, I put all my energy into my run, but it's of no use. He runs lightning fast, catching up to me in a split second, he runs past me and then cuts me off by jumping in front of my path. He is so fast I cannot outrun him. He moves in closer to me, opening his mouth. His fangs are gleaming in the moonlight, a drop of saliva drips from one fang. He grabs me by my arms, holding me in place, and moves in for the kill. I close my eyes, frightened I am about to die'

Suddenly I hear the sound of wings flapping in the air, and feel the man's hands being ripped off of my arms as a hot breeze brushes across my face. I open my eyes to find myself standing alone in the parking lot. I look around. No one is in sight.

"What's going on!" I scream into the night as I begin to run. I'm not paying attention where I'm running to. Adrenaline and fear are my driving force. As I race across a road, I look behind me, to make sure I'm not being followed, and hear brakes squealing. I turn to face the sound, and see a car swaying sideways, coming straight for me. Before I have time to react, Edward suddenly grabs me up in his arms and pulls me out of harm's way.

He is standing on the sidewalk, cradling me in his arms. The car comes to a screeching halt. My heart is pounding in my chest. I look up at Edward. "Where did you come from?"

He gently places me on my feet. "You're safe now. Let's get you home. A nice cup of tea will help settle your nerves."

"But you came out of nowhere? What you did is not humanly possible! You're not normal, and neither was that man who attacked me. You saved me from him didn't you?"

"Bella, let's just get you home, okay?"

"No. I want answers!" I stand defiantly not moving, arms folded across my chest.

"That man wasn't human! He talked about my blood and the way I smelled. I think he meant the way my blood smelled and he said I had special abilities! His hands were ice cold on my arms and his skin was very pale. His eyes turned black! He had fangs, Edward! Fangs! What is he?"

Edward stares at me, contemplation written on his face.

"There's something odd about you too. You're unnaturally too fast. There is no way a human could be as fast as you are. I think you saved me from that man. Why did I hear wings flapping? And there was a very hot breeze. I swear I smelled sulfur. Did you pull him off me so fast I didn't see it happening?"

"Breathe Bella."

"You are... not... human," I slowly spit out the words, feeling a bit ridiculous.

"So, what do you think I am then if I am not human? Edward crosses his arms over his chest and waits patiently.

"I don't know, but the man in that alley, He was human either." I get out my cell phone and start searching for answers. I type in cold skin, pale skin, blood, fast, fangs. My search results pop up..VAMPIRE.

I bring my eyes up to meet Edwards. "You're both vampires," I state it matter of factly like it is the most normal thing in the world.

"And that doesn't scare you? Edward looks perplexed and surprised.

I shake my head no. "I know you won't hurt me and I have you to protect me. You saved me when I was in the alley also, didn't you? I saw shadows, but when I turned around, no one was there."

"Are you sure you can handle the truth, Bella?"

"I just got attacked by a man who had fangs drop down over his teeth! I can handle the truth, Edward! I deserve to know!"

Edward sighs. "I can show you what happened in the alley if you allow me to?" Edward asks cautiously.

"Yes. Of course, I do!"

"Do you trust me, Bella?"

"Yes!"

Edward moves closer to me. "You will see through my eyes." Edward reaches out and places his palm against my cheek. A warm tingle penetrates my face, spreading waves of tingling warmth up across my temples and fanning out over my brain. I see images appear in my mind, like a movie.

I am on top of one of the brick buildings, looking down on myself walking in the alley. I see a dark figure following behind myself. When myself stops walking and is listening to the footsteps of this figure, I watch this figure half leap, half float up to the top of the other brick building. When myself begins walking again, the figure floats down behind myself and continues to walk. Again myself turns around and the figure leaps to the top of the building. Now, myself is standing in the alley, looking straight ahead and this figure floats down slowly behind myself, ready to attack. I race into action, almost too fast to be seen, and I tackle the figure, running him into the brick wall. There is a loud crash, and bricks crumble to the ground. I see steam all around me and on the bricks, a scorch mark bore in the center. The figure I tackled quickly races away. I look ahead at myself and see myself begin to turn around, and I leap 60 feet in the air, jumping on top of the building to hide once again. The vision is over.

"I knew there was something different about you. Now I know, you're a vampire."

"The man in the alley wasn't James, your gym partner. He was someone else, something else. I'm sorry to tell you, there are two creatures after you. James is a vampire, but don't worry, I will take care of him tonight. I promise you he won't be showing up to gym class, or anywhere else, ever again. I gave him one last chance to leave you alone, but obviously, he isn't going to do that, so now I have to get rid of him."

"Then what about the man in the alley?"

"The man in the alley, he is something more dangerous. I didn't get a good look at his face, but I could smell what he was. There are things that are much stronger than vampires, and things much older. You have heard of vampires, but have you ever heard of an original?"

"I've heard the term. Isn't it just a stronger vampire, or something like that?"

"Originals are much stronger, and faster, better hunters, improved in all ways. Vampires are made by a vampire biting and turning a human. New York is crawling with vampires. They prey on the young and naive. Some are very wealthy and influential people. They may hire servants to keep around to feed off of, some are professional photographers who take advantage of young, aspiring models, some have penetrated into the top levels of sports management, some in the art fields, some just roam the streets near bars hoping to find drunken or drugged people to take advantage of.

Now you understand my warning about this being a dangerous city, actually, it's a dangerous state! Wherever there is an opportunity for a vampire to exploit someone into becoming their personal pin cushion, it is taken here in New York. That is why I'm always so busy at work and is why my work is so dangerous. My job puts me up against some of the most dangerous vampires and originals. Vampires are an easy fight, originals, however, can be formidable opponents. Some vampires are well-known celebrities. Some we suspect are killing people, or feeding off of them, but we cannot act until we have proof. My partner Alice and I go on special assignments to investigate such creatures."

"Celebrities? Tell me just one person's name? Please?"

"Well, there's a certain medium, in Long Island, that has her own TV show. She's an easy one to figure out though, with that 19th-century hairstyle she's never changed."

I gasp and put my hand over my mouth. "I always said there was something unnatural about her!"

Edward stares into my eyes. "Are you okay so far? Shall I continue?" I nod my head.

"Originals can only be made when a creature, such as myself, mates with a human whom has certain special abilities. "

"So you're not a vampire or an original. I know you're very fast like a vampire, and strong, and fly, but you're different in some ways."

"What ways, Bella?" Edward looks intrigued that I have noticed so much.

"In the alley, where you tackled that vampire...I mean original, there were scorch marks on the bricks. That night you took me home, I thought I saw something in your eyes. It...it was only for a split second, but I thought I saw a flame!" I look up at Edward and touch his face with my hand. "Your skin is warm and tan, even hot at times! I saw a puff of steam come out of your mouth! When I saw it, I just thought I was seeing things, but now I know that's what I saw. If you're not a vampire and not an original, What are you?"

Edward smiles almost seductively, as he unbuttons the top button of his shirt, and slowly works his way down. He allows his shirt to fall to the ground. He closes his eyes for a split second. When they open again, in each pupil, is a tiny flame, flickering only for a second, before vanishing. The color of his eyes transitions to a deep red.

He steps back a couple of feet, allowing me to view his entire form. Deep inside his skin, a red ember glow begins to build. It grows brighter until it climaxes into a beautiful red-orange glow. I feel hot warmth coming from his body. It doesn't burn, but it's a deep warmth. I watch the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, take its real form in front of my eyes.

"You're beautiful. You're amazing! What are you?"

"I'm not done yet," Edward winks at me.

Scarlet red, glowing structures sprout from his back, rising several feet above his head. Flames and red lightning dash in and around them in a majestic dance, as the structures unfold into a beautiful set of fire-wings of deep red, lit from within. Scales within them glitter like rubies along that long and graceful form.

"You're a dragon!" I'm aware my eyes are opened wide and my mouth is hanging open, but I don't care. I've never seen such a majestic creature in all my life.

Edward smiles as he walks towards me, scoops me up into his arms, and leaps into the air. His wings beat against the air, making loud wooshing sounds, as they lift us higher into the night's sky. I cannot take my eyes away from him. He was handsome before, but now with this gorgeous red ember glow underneath his skin, he looks like a god. I'm mesmerized by his beauty.

"You're hot, but you're not burning me. How did you scorch the bricks?" My breath is coming out in short, low gasps as I talk, still in awe of what I'm experiencing.

"I can control how hot I get. I'm able to glow without putting out much heat, or I can get very hot.

"Now you know why I told you I cannot lose my temper. I'm a killer, Bella."

"I don't care."

"You should care. My life is a dangerous one."

"I don't care. I want to be with you! I will never allow you to convince me that I need to stay away from you. From the first time we met, I knew I wouldn't be happy living my life without you."

"I feel the same way. I thought I could stay away from you, but I can't stop thinking about you. You've changed my life, Bella."

"And you've changed mine."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

I bring my lips close to his full, soft, glowing-red lips and pause for just a moment. Then plunge in, not caring if I get burned. I feel a pleasant warmth coming from his lips. He parts my lips gently with his tongue and explores my mouth. When I pull my lips away from his, the ember glow is gone and the heat has subsided. The only visible change is his wings. I stare into his eyes.

"What can I say. You tame the beast in me, Bella!" I laugh and lean my head against his chest.

We slowly descend to the ground, looking around at our surroundings, I see we are in my back yard.

"No! I don't want this to stop!" Edward sets me on my feet.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but I have to leave. I have to track him before he can get away. Now that he has your scent, he won't stop until he kills you. I have to take care of him now, and then work on finding out where that original is! We will talk tomorrow, I promise. He kisses me softly one last time and leaps into the air, disappearing into the night's sky. As I watch him soar through the sky, I pinch my arm to make sure I'm not dreaming.

* * *

 **#DragonWard!**

 **A/N: I know dreams are considered cliche, however, this dream was important to me personally, to place in my story. I always integrate some real-life occurrences into scenes in my stories, either from my dreams or real happenings in my life, and this dream was one such occurrence. I am a lucid and a vivid dreamer and my dreams are what inspire or influence many of my stories. This dream was screaming at me to be included in this story. I hope you enjoyed my story even with the cliché dream.**


	5. Chapter 5 Tying Up Loose Ends

**Fated**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Congratulations to BabyBlueEyes and Rita01tx for guessing dragon and Databyegirl. for guessing VampDragonWard!**

 **Thank you Rita01tx for mentioning Fated in your Rob Attack Blog. At robattack DOT wordpress.**

* * *

Thank goodness I managed to hang onto my purse during tonight's excitement. I'm still trying to determine if tonight's events really happened or if I'm going crazy. The red mark on my arm indicates I'm not dreaming. My cell phone starts to ring as I'm rummaging inside my purse looking for my keys, but I'm too distracted thinking about everything that happened tonight to care about a phone call, so I ignore it. The lock on the back door is sticking, as usual, and I have to jiggle the key around. My cell phone begins ringing again as I hear a click and the door pops open. A quick peek tells me it's Charlie. I'll call him back later.

As I step inside the darkened apartment, the absence of light tells me that Patty mustn't be home yet. I fumble for the kitchen light switch as my cell phone rings again. Soft light falls across the kitchen and I grab my cell. It's Charlie. He wouldn't be calling three times in a row unless something was wrong.

"Hello."

"Bella, Where are you? Are you alright?"

"Yes, dad. I'm good. I just got in from work."

"You're sure everything is okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Why? What's wrong?"

"I just had a weird feeling... I fell asleep in my chair. I guess I had a bad dream. I'm sorry to bother you, Bella." Charlie sighs. "I'm tired and going to head to bed."

"It's never a bother hearing from you, dad. I'm safe and I'm in for the night. I'll give you a call tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Night, Bells."

I walk to the refrigerator and open it up, looking for something good to drink. I find half of a bottle of lemonade I bought two days ago and pull it out, pop open the cap and take a big chug.

"Do you know where the best place to hide from a dragon is?" A silhouette steps out from the shadows in the living room. It's James. The bottle of lemonade slips from my hand, falling onto the kitchen floor. Glass shards and lemonade splatter across the kitchen floor, soaking cabinets and my pants. My heart starts pounding in my chest so loud I hear nothing else for a few seconds.

"I say, it's with a person whose blood is so strong that a dragon cannot detect anything else around her. I'm really surprised Edward didn't think of that himself. He isn't too bright your boyfriend, is he?"

"He'll come and he'll get you!" I'm frantic. "He'll kill you if you hurt me." I'm so frightened I'm half stuttering.

"I'll be long gone by the time he finds you."

He takes a few steps toward me. I'm standing in the kitchen and him in the living room, with only the kitchen counter between us. I glance at the back door.

"Don't bother wasting your energy. You'll be dead before your hand hits the knob. It's nothing personal. I just hate your blood, or rather hate what it does to me. You see, it's like a drug. One that is almost impossible to resist. Smelling your blood in gym class and not being able to drink it, was agony. It's like waving a bag of heroin in front of a drug attack and watching them suffer. Well, it's not just about your blood being irresistible, there is one other thing. The legend..."

"What legend?" Maybe if I can keep him talking I can think of a way out of this.

"Legend says if a vampire drinks the blood of a 'special one', someone from a special bloodline, then all her abilities will be transferred to the vampire. I know of no one who has done this, but wouldn't it be fun to give it a try and see what happens?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any special abilities!"

"Maybe none that have surfaced, yet, but it's in your bloodline. I can smell it on you." James has a nasty sneer to his voice, like my blood is offending him. "That's also why Edward is attracted to you. Legend also says that dragons find their mates by detecting the scent of a human with certain abilities and they will only mate with those humans that possess such abilities. It's a built-in system to ensure the original race does not go extinct."

"I'm telling you I don't have any abilities and neither do any of my family or ancestors. You're wrong!"

"Really? Who was that on the phone?" I stay silent, refusing to answer. "It was dad, correct?" I tighten my lips and clench my teeth shut. I'm not going to offer any information about Charlie or anyone I love!

"I heard him asking if you were okay. I have supernatural hearing. I heard him tell you he had a premonition about something bad happening to you."

"What, that? That's nothing! That's just my dad being worried. That's just Charlie being..."

"Being psychic. That's your dad showing some of the abilities granted to him by his birthright. Usually, these abilities are passed down through matriarchal lines, but in your case, it looks like it's through your father's bloodline."

I take a chance and make a run for the back door. Before I get close enough to touch the doorknob I feel a hand on the back of my neck. My feet leave the floor and I sail through the air, over the kitchen counter, and fall with a heavy thud onto the living room floor. My back and ankle hurt, I try to pull myself up into a standing position but he is on me before I can move.

He grabs me by the front of my neck in one hand and picks me up in the air. My feet kick wildly, my hands grasping at the hand that holds onto my neck. He is holding me up more by my jaw then my neck, so I can still breath, but the crushing pain is intense.

There's a knock at the back door. James turns his head to look in that direction.

"Bella? Are you home?" It's Jacob!

James tightens his grip around my neck, squeezing hard enough to restrict my voice box.

"It's your little puppy dog who follows you everywhere," James says in that same gruff voice. "Now don't you go warning him away." James lowers me to the ground but keeps his hand wrapped tightly around my neck. "Should we invite him in for some fun?" He loosens his grip enough to allow me to speak.

"No," I barely squeak out. "My car is still at the diner so he will think I'm not home and will go away."

Three more knocks at the door. "Bella, Patty, anyone home?"

"You don't want to play with the puppy?" James pauses, deciding. "Fine. We will have it your way and will wait until he leaves. I'll have my fill with your blood."

I sneak a peek at the back door. Jacob's shadow is no longer present at the door, but I see some movement at the window. As I'm searching for any shadows through the window shade, I notice Jacob's eye peeking in through the 1-inch gap between the bottom of the shade and the window.

Oh no. Jacob! Just go home. Don't be a hero! He's going to get himself killed!

There's a loud bang at the back door. James turns his body around to look, still holding onto me by my neck. There's another bang. James throws his head back and lets out a sinister laugh. "The puppy dog is trying to break the door down to save his love. Ha ha ha!"

I begin to fight again trying to break free of James's grasp. There is a final blow on the door and it pops open and slams into the wall with the wooden frame shredded and broken, Jacob plows through. James lets go of me and I bend over, hands on my knees, coughing and trying to catch my breath. Jacob tries to tackle James, but James does not budge. Jacob takes a swing at him. James parries so quick Jacob doesn't notice he even moved. Jacob attempts to roundhouse him and again James parries and goes back into position so fast that Jacob does not understand what's going on.

James is enjoying this game of cat and mouse. He is smiling and laughing the entire time. Having caught my breath back, I jump on James back. I have no idea what possessed me to try to attack a vampire but I have to do something. It's my fault Jacob is messed up in this.

"Jacob, just run!"

"Not without you, Bella. You run. Go and I will take care of him." Jacob punches James in the face and James just laughs as Jacob grasps his injured hand.

"Jacob you can't fight him. This isn't your battle just please, go." James is laughing while Jacob and I attempt to fight him and plead with each other to run away.

"It's my battle now, Bella. I'm not going anywhere without you!" Jacob attempts to knock James over by sweeping his leg. James grabs Jacob by the neck, picks him up, and throws him against the living room wall. Then he pulls me off his back and throws me against the opposite wall.

Ignoring my pain, I stand up quickly and see James has Jacob pinned by the neck against the other wall. Jacob is fighting fiercely, punching James and kicking him, but James is unaffected. James's mouth opens wide and fangs slide down over his teeth. I start running, screaming as I run. "Jacob. Nooooo!" The couch between us, I clear it in one leap and land only a few feet from them as I watch Jame's fangs sink deeply into the flesh of Jacob's neck.

I feel like I'm falling. Like I'm in a nightmare I cannot wake up from. It's like I'm running in slow motion. I can see James biting Jacob, but I cannot get there fast enough. I see Jacob's blood spilling down over him and onto the floor. So much blood. Too much blood. I make it to them and grab James by his head, trying to pull him off of Jacob's neck. He slaps me in the face with a backhand and I fall backward onto the floor. The metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. My eyes never move from Jacob. James lets go of Jacob and his body slumps onto the floor, dead. I start to cry. My ears begin to ring. The sound is so high pitched it's hurting my head, making me feel like I'm going to pass out. I'm getting dizzy.

There's a loud crash and shattered glass fragments spray across me. I try to get up but fall back on my butt. I feel like I'm passing out and can only see bits and pieces. Darkness is beginning to fill in over my eyesight. The living room picture window is shattered. Edward is glowing as he holds James by the neck. The room begins to grow hot. Steam is coming from Edward's hand, the hand that is holding James in the air by his neck. James is screaming. The apartment fills with the scent of burnt flesh and sulfur.

I'm growing so weak I can no longer sit up. I slowly slide down on the floor until I am lying down, watching Edward. Edward now has moved James onto the floor, in a headlock. The last thing I see before passing out is Edward pulling James's head off.

* * *

I wake and sit up. Ice wrapped in a towel falls from my lips. I'm on the couch, Edward sitting on the floor by my side.

"What happened? Oh No, Jacob! Poor Jacob! Edward, he killed him!" I begin to sob uncontrollably. "He killed him and it's all my fault." Edward gets up from the floor and sits on the edge of the couch.

"You fainted, Bella. I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I should have realized he would come here. I should have known."

"He killed Jacob," I cry.

"Not exactly, Bella...Do you remember that I said a vampire is made when a vampire bites a human? I left out one important thing. The vampire must give the human some of his own blood in order for the human to turn into a vampire. Otherwise, he would just die." Edward talks softly, his voice soothing, as he wipes the tears from my eyes. I nod my head yes. Then it dawns on me.

"Jacob?"

"Yes, Bella. Jacob did die, but he's going to come back as a vampire. Jacob was still alive when I found him, but he was dying. I took some of Jame's blood and poured it down Jacob's throat. It's the only way I could save him."

"I don't know whether I'm supposed to be happy or sad, so I will just cry."

Edward scoops me up in his arms and holds me while I cry, gently rocking me. For how long, I do not know.

"How does your lip feel, Bella?"

I touch my finger to my lip. "It's fine. It doesn't even hurt much."

A sudden thought makes me sit up.

"What is it, Bella?"

"Patty! She could be home any minute. I've already drug Jacob into this, I can't drag Patty into it too!"

"Can you call Patty and try to get her to stay somewhere else tonight? I've already cleaned up all the blood and gotten rid of Jame's body, but we still have to deal with Jacob." Edward looked at me with concern in his eyes. I nodded my head and grabbed my cell.

"Hi, Bella. What's up?"

"Hi, Patty. I was wondering if you would be able to stay somewhere else tonight? I've got Edward here..."

"You don't have to say another word. Of course, I will! I'm at a party now. I'll just sleep here. Everyone does anyway. You go, girl. You dog you! Say hi to Officer Fine Ass for me, will ya Bella? Bye!"

I hang up the phone and nod to Edward. I assume he could hear Patty's voice the way James could hear me on the phone, so I don't bother to explain what she said. Oh no! He probably heard her call him Officer Fine Ass! If he did, he isn't giving me any clues to it. My face reddens at the thought.

"Can I see Jacob?"

In a flash, Edward races behind the couch and picks Jacob up in his arms and gently places him on the chair next to me.

I stand up and look down at him. "He looks like he is just sleeping."

"When he wakes up Bella, I'm going to have to take him away. He will be...hungry. Newly-made vampires should not be around humans and especially not around them until they...feed."

"Feed?" I'm not sure I want to know about that. I slump back down on the couch. Edward takes a seat next to me.

"There's plenty of vampires who feed off of animal blood or blood that has been happily donated by humans." Edward sees the inquisitive look in my face. "I'll explain about that at a later time. He will be okay, Bella. He is in good hands. After he feeds, I can bring him back here if you want to see him and I can talk to him and explain things about his new life to him. That is, if Patty won't be home?"

"She doesn't have to work today so she will probably sleep in all day at the party and most likely she will call before coming home."

My head is spinning. I don't think I can hear anymore right now. I lean against Edward and he wraps his arm around me as I lie my head against his chest. The warmth coming from him is so comforting, so inviting. I look up into his eyes.

"Do you really think Jacob will be alright?"

"I know he will be. Everyone I have known who has turned into a vampire was happy about the transition, besides he will have me to help him. I promise I will be here for him."

I lean up and look Edward in the eyes. "Really? Because you two didn't seem to like each other too much the night you stopped us. I remember that much of that night."

"That's because I thought he was some pervert trying to take advantage of a drunk young girl. Now I have seen he cares about you very much. Tonight, he literally gave his life for you. I owe him everything."

I sit back and lean against Edward's chest. "I just need to know that Jacob will be okay and then I will be fine also."

We watch TV, keep an eye on Jacob, and chat for hours. I don't know when I dozed off in Edward's arms, but about 6am he wakes me up with a gentle shake. I open an eye and peered up at Edward.

"Jacob's stirring. He will be up soon and then I have to take him to go hunt." He grabs a piece of my hair that is hanging over my face and gently brushes it behind my ear. My body trembles under his light touch.

I sit up and look at Jacob, he is beginning to toss and turn.

I look at Edward. "But it's morning. It's daylight outside. Won't it hurt him?"

Edward chuckles. "That's just a myth. Sunlight doesn't harm vampires, but their skin does sparkle in the sun. New vampires have to stay out of the sunlight in public until they learn to control the sparkle. It's just training their mind to control their body. Once they have that under control, they can go out any time of day. I have a partner who can help him learn how to be a vampire. In fact, after I take Jacob to hunt and eat, he should spend some time with Alice learning and adjusting to his new life."

"Alice, your partner at the police department?"

"She's more than just my partner at the police force. We are practically family. She and a few others are like family to me. I will introduce you to the rest sometime. They will help Jacob adjust. I will bring Jacob back here immediately after he eats. I know you want to see him."

"Make sure you do, Edward. I won't rest until I talk to him and know he's going to be okay! But, how can Alice help Jacob? Is she a vampire?"

Edward smiles. "She's an original."

"Alice is? The woman I met at the library?" Edward shakes his head. "She seems to skinny and well, she looks kind of frail."

Edward laughs. "Don't let her hear you saying that. She's one of the toughest originals I know."

Jacob sits up and opens his eyes. They are pitch black. He stares straight ahead, not looking at Edward or I. My heart skips a beat. I am so worried. I look at Edward. He pats my hand. "He's just adjusting to his new vision and hearing."

Jacob turns his head and looks at us. "Why do I feel so good? What happened last night? I don't remember what happened after that guy...bit me? Did he bite me, Bella?"

I shake my head, trying to keep tears from spilling down. I cannot find my voice. Edward feels me tremble and squeezes my hand.

"Jacob," Edward was using his soft, comforting voice. "The man, who bit you, he wasn't exactly a normal person. What I mean is...There are some people who..."

"He was a vampire!" I spit out. If Edward couldn't, I did. Jacob smiled as if I told him a funny joke. "We're not kidding, Jacob. He was a vampire and he was after me and you saved me." My voice is shaky as I fight back tears.

"So, let me guess. He was a vampire and he bit me so now I'm going to turn into a vampire, right?" Jacob laughs.

"I'm serious, Jacob."

"Bella is telling you the truth. Listen. Pay attention to what sounds you hear. Really listen, and tell me what you hear."

Jacob looks back and forth between Edward and me, searching our eyes for the truth. Then silences himself and concentrates. "I hear birds chirping, quite loudly. I hear an annoying bell ringing...I hear the TV."

"That bell you hear, it's the church bell in the middle of town, miles away. There's no TV on in this apartment, you are hearing the neighbors TV, possibly from far away."

Jacob looks deep in thought. "I keep hearing this squishing sound too. It's taking over all the other sounds now. It's like fluid pumping in and out in a rhythm. It is getting louder."

"That's Bella's blood pumping through her veins that you are hearing. I know, because I hear it too. That means you are beginning to get hungry and I need to take you to go eat."

"My eyesight is funny too. It's messed up."

"Do you wear contacts?"

"Yes."

"Take them out."

Jacob removes his contacts and looks around the room. "Much better. You're not joking, are you? This is really happening to me?"

We both shake our heads. I run to Jacob and throw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Jacob, you saved me. You got turned into a vampire because you came to my rescue. I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

"It's okay, Bella. That's what friends do and if I had to do it all over again, I would choose the same. Besides, this may not be such a bad thing. I have to take some time to adjust, but it may wind up for the better."

As I continue to cling onto Jacob, he grows silent. I feel Edward's hands gently unwrapping my arms from around Jacob's neck. When he pulls me away, I see Jacob's fangs coming down over his teeth. His eyes darken further. Edward stands between Jacob and me, protecting me.

"It's time to come with me, Jacob. I will teach you to feed and you will feel much better. I'll teach you what I know about being a vampire and then introduce you to some friends who can help you with the rest. We need to leave now because the longer you stay here without feeding, the more you are putting Bella at risk."

Edward guides Jacob through the back door, outside. I stay inside, watching them. Edward's skin takes on the same beautiful red ember glow as before as his fire-wings emerge from his back. Jacob watches the transition with a look of fascination on his face. Edward grabs both of Jacob's arms and, with a quick smile at me, leaps into the air and they fly away.

I stand in my apartment alone, wondering if I should pinch myself again.


	6. Chapter 6 Aftermath

**Fated**

 **Chapter 6**

 **A/N: My apologies for taking nearly 2 weeks to upload Chapter 6. I will upload Chapter 7 tomorrow to make up for the wait. Thank you all for your patience!**

* * *

I'm feeling guilty and worried about Jacob, sitting on my couch, slumped over my coffee table, my head in my hands. I've been waiting for what seems like forever. Thinking about everything that has happened and waiting to hear from Edward. Jacob didn't deserve this and it's all my fault.

I get up and walk behind the couch to the spot where James drained Jacob of his blood and I stand there, the memories of last night still vivid in my mind. I'm replaying it over in my head wondering what I could have done differently, but the fact is Jacob and I never had a chance against a vampire.

I see no blood on the drywall, just some damp spots where Edward scrubbed. I bend down to get a closer look at the floor. Edward's clean up was excellent. There isn't a speck of blood to be found. He did a good job cleaning the lemonade and broken glass off of the kitchen floor as well. There is, however, a huge dent in the drywall. I will have to come up with an excuse for Patty about that.

I hear a knock on my front door. "It's about time," I say with relief as I rush to the front door and throw it open. There stands Edward, just as handsome as ever. I lean my head out the door and look around.

"Where's Jacob?"

"He's with Alice and the rest of my extended family learning how to be a vampire. He can't go in public in the daylight until he learns to control his sparkle, so he will be staying with them for awhile." The sound of his voice is calming and reassuring. He places his hand on my shoulder. "He fed well. He's a natural at hunting."

I roll my eyes. "Do I dare ask what animal he indulged in?"

Edward smiles. "Deer blood."

I try to picture Jacob tackling a deer and holding it down drinking its blood. It's just too ridiculous to even think about.

I lean my head against his chest and wrap my arms around him. He puts one arm around me and gently grasps my chin between his thumb and forefinger to tilt my head upward. "How's the lip," he asks as he gently pulls out my bottom lip and inspects the inside then lets it go.

"The cut is almost healed on the inside and just a slightly swollen but it doesn't hurt. Is Jacob truly doing well, Edward?"

"Why don't you see for yourself. Everyone is waiting for us at Alice's house." Edward lowers his head to look at the front of my shirt. "You should change your shirt before we leave. You have some blood on it."

I look down to see a small patch of blood on the front of my shirt. "Must be from my lip. Come in. I'll be right back." I run upstairs and change my shirt in my bedroom, then walk into the bathroom I put some soap on the blood stain on my shirt and fill the bathroom sink up with water and leave the shirt soak in it.

When I come back down the stairs, Edward is standing in the living room with a large framed painting in his right hand and a hammer in his left. As I open my mouth about to ask what it's for, he nods his head toward the living room wall. I look behind me and see the dent once again.

I look back at Edward. "I forgot about that."

He smiles. "Would you like me to hang it for you?" He twirls the picture around. It's a painting of a beautiful sunset over a lake. Trees bursting with autumn colors line the background as they cast their reflections in the water.

"It's beautiful. Thank you, Edward." I am so in awe of him. He doesn't miss a thing.

He holds the picture up against the wall with his right hand. "Tell me if it looks centered."

I take a few steps back to view my new artwork. "Left side down just a bit." Edward readjusts the painting on the wall.

"How about now?"

I can't help but notice the tight and well-rounded shape of his butt in his jeans. My gaze roams upward along his back and arms. His short sleeve shirt shows off his large forearm muscles. They bulge and ripple in all the right places. I begin to imagine what he must look like under his clothes, eyeing him savagely.

"Ahem."

I snap out of my daydream and look up at Edward's face. He's smirking. Caught in the act, I feel my face redden. "That's good there," I squeak out, refusing to meet Edward's eyes again.

* * *

After Edward hangs the painting, we get into his BMW M3 Convertible and head toward Alice's house. We are traveling through the country at a rather fast speed. Faster than makes me comfortable, but with more important things on my mind, I ignore our speed.

"When I first met you and Jacob, I have to admit, I didn't like him. I thought he was just some guy trying to perv on some drunken girls. He was trying to stay over at your place but I wouldn't allow him to."

"Oh, that? He wasn't perving on us. I laugh. "Patty and Jacob go to the bar and drunk fairly regularly and then they call me to come pick them up. If it's late I just bring them both back here and Jacob sleeps on the couch. He is always a gentleman or at least passes out too quickly to not be."

"Then I guess I judged him wrong. He does seem like a nice guy. I enjoyed taking him hunting."

I cast my eyes downward, thinking about how everything played out last night and Jacob dying."

Edward glances at me. "Jacob's going to be fine. I normally don't agree with turning people into vampires, but in cases such as Jacobs, when he died because of supernatural interference, I feel it's justified. That's why I fed him Jame's blood. He really does seem to be enjoying being a vampire." Edward looks back and forth between watching the road and looking into my eyes as he talks.

"That does make me feel better, but I won't be able to be reassured until I see Jacob. I still can't believe this happened. It all happened so fast. It's difficult to believe it's real."

"I know, Bella and I'm sorry. It's my fault this happened. I was so intent on chasing after James and taking him out that it slipped my mind that he could hide from me by being close to you."

"He said he could hide near me because my blood smelled so strong it masked him from you. He also said at the restaurant that it was sweet smelling and irresistible. Why did he say that?"

"Certain people, not many, have strong, sweet, smelling blood that is practically irresistible to vampires. It runs in certain family lines and has some special abilities associated with it. Like a strong intuition. A psychic connection."

I have to think for a minute. Charlie has always seemed to know when I'm in trouble. "But I don't have any kind of abilities."

"You may never get any abilities, but it runs in your blood, even if you don't exhibit any. It's also possible your abilities have not surfaced, yet. Legend says if a vampire drains and drinks the blood of someone with special abilities, that vampire will take on those abilities. That's why James was after you. Well, that and also the smell of your blood was driving him crazy with want."

"Great. So now I'm going to be on all vampire's hit lists?"

"No. Just the ones strong enough to smell the difference in your blood, and even of those, some vampires are not violent toward humans. I still don't know who that Original was that was after you in that alley, but I will be keeping a close eye on you until I can find him."

"Why haven't I run into vampires wanting my blood before now?"

"Because the small city you lived in did not have any vampires, but now you are in a city that is crawling with vampires. But don't worry. I plan on never allowing another creature to hurt you. You are officially on my watch list." Edward's tone sounds formidable.

"I do have another question." I pause for a moment.

Edward waits patiently for me to continue speaking, then looks at me. "What is it, Bella?"

"James said that dragons are attracted to people with blood like mine and they will only mate with those people."

"He was right. Dragons and humans with psychic abilities in their blood are naturally drawn to each other. It's part of nature's plan to ensure the original race doesn't die out." Edward gives me his comforting smile. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves and concentrate only on the current situation. We can talk more about us later."

I nod my head in agreement, relieved.

"I warned you there was a lot to handle if you get involved with me," Edward gives me a bright-eyed sympathetic smile.

"Yes you did, and you're worth every bit of it."

Edward moves his right hand from the steering wheel and wraps his fingers around mine as my hand rests in my lap. His touch is warm and comforting. After several more minutes of driving, he turns onto a driveway hidden from the road by a line of trees. We make our way through a long winding driveway, the stones crunching under our tires, fresh mountain air fills my lungs. Edward brings the car to a halt, places it in park, and turns in his seat to face me.

"I just want a few minutes alone with you before we meet we the others."

I angle myself in my seat to face him as he tucks a piece of stray hair behind my ear. His fingers linger, brushing across my cheek and sliding down my neck. As he begins to lean in closer to me, I lean in to meet him. His fresh masculine scent fills my nostrils as his pink, full lips brush up against mine. I feel his fingers running through my hair as we kiss. His silky soft lips gently part mine as his mouth hungers for more.

Placing his hand against the back of my head, he pulls me in closer to him. The edge of the emergency brake digs into my side but I don't care. My hand rests upon his warm thigh, massaging it through his jeans. He moans. I'm really not sure what I'm doing, but by the sound of his reaction, I must be doing something right.

He notices the brake cutting into my side and reaches down with one hand and pulls the lever to release his seat, sliding it all the way back. Placing his hands on the outside of my thighs, he lifts me up and places me on his lap, my legs straddling him. His hands gently wander down my sides and legs, exploring and caressing as he kisses me.

He slides his hands along my jeans, grasping my butt and gently pulling me toward him. I obey and edge my body closer until our bodies are tight against each other.

Heat radiates out from his body like a furnace, filling the air with warmth. He slides his tongue inside my mouth, exploring and probing. I let out a soft whimper as I follow his lead, exploring his mouth with my tongue. My arms wrapped around his neck, feeling my breasts perk up and press against his hot chest. Instinctively, I press my hips down on him, my crotch against his thick, erect manhood. I have no other thoughts on my mind except how good this feels and how hungry I am for him.

He pulls his lips away from mine and unwraps my arms from around his neck. "Bella, We have to stop." He pushes my body back a bit so my chest no longer is pressing against his and looks me in the eyes, holding my arms in his hands.

"What?" My mind is foggy. I can't think right. I just want to keep kissing him. I continue to press myself against him.

"Bella, stop!"

His loud tone startles me out of my daze. I push myself away from him to look into his eyes and notice his red ember glow is back under his skin.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean for that to go so far. Sit back in your seat and let's collect ourselves, shall we?"

I take a look around at our surroundings and remember we are going to Alice's house to see Jacob. "Oh, right. Jacob. And I'm meeting your extended family." I plop myself back in my seat, flip over the visor and look at the mirror on the other side and run my fingers through my hair, tidying it. My insides are shaking as I pretend to be calm and try to cool my urges. Edward sits quietly. I think he is trying to get control over his manhood, so I sit quietly fixing my hair. Slowly but surely his skin returns to its normal color, the ember glow gone.


	7. Chapter 7 Vampire Camp

**Fated**

 **Chapter 7**

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 **A/N: Thank you StormyMonday for your beta help and thank you oldmeone for catching an error I made while editing my story after StormyMonday checked it for me!**

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I quickly run my fingers through my hair one last time, pull my jeans up, and fix my shirt, while Edward rings the doorbell. In less than 1 second the door opens and Alice is smiling on the other side. "Hi, Edward. Hi Bella! Come on in." She steps aside, allowing us to enter.

"It's so nice to see you again, Bella." Alice leans in and gives me a hug.

"It's nice to see you again too, Alice." Alice has a way of making you feel happy just by seeing her.

"Where is everyone?" Edward asks Alice.

"They are all out back training Jacob. Everyone is having a ball. He is a fast learner too! Right this way." Alice grabs my hand and leads me through the house and out the back door. She has so much energy she is practically skipping. I see several people standing in the woods behind the house, past the patio. As we walk up to them, they all turn and face us. Each one with a welcoming smile.

Edward starts the introductions. "Everyone, this is Bella."

He motions to Carlisle. "Bella, this is Carlisle." He gives me a friendly smile. "Hi, Bella."

"Hi," I offer back with a large smile of my own.

"This is Esme." She takes a couple steps forward and hugs me. "Hello, Bella. We've heard quite a bit about you. It sounds like you have had quite a crazy few days."

I hug her back. "Hi. Yes, I have. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all."

"This is Jasper," Edward continues introducing Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. I greet each one with a friendly smile and hello. They all seem very warm and friendly.

"So, Where's Jacob?" I can't wait any longer to see him.

Jacob leaps down from high up in a tree and lands a few feet in front of me. "Hi, Bella!" His tone is bright and full of energy. In a flash, he is standing in front of me. He looks different. His features are more chiseled, almost statuesque, his skin is paler but has a perfect complexion. Now that he has walked out from the shadow of the trees and into the sunlight, his skin is sparkling like diamonds. It is spectacularly radiant.

"Wow, Jacob. You look beautiful!"

"I feel great, Bella!" He wraps his arms around me tight. I feel a crushing sensation bearing down on my chest. He has my arms trapped so I can't move and can't talk.

"Jacob!" Everyone yells.

"Remember, gentle," Esme reminds him.

He quickly lets me go. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I forgot about how strong I am now. Are you alright?"

I place my hand to my chest and take a few slow, deep breaths, feeling the pain ease up. "I'm okay."

"Do you want to go for a short walk with me in the woods so we can talk?" Jacob asks me and then looks around at the others, searching for approval.

"It's okay, Jacob. You will be fine with Bella," Alice reassures him.

I glance at Edward. He nods to me and Jacob and I walk off into the woods together. Each time we step into the sun, his skin sparkles radiantly.

"Bella, this has been the most amazing night and day of my life. I feel so powerful and invincible. I'm stronger, faster, tougher, my body is like a perfect machine. There's nothing I can't do. It's amazing!"

I stop walking and turn to face Jacob. "Are you really happy like this? I can't believe this happened to you and because of me. Oh, Jacob, I am so sorry!" I hug him tightly.

"Bella, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me! Please don't feel guilty or sad for me. I am happier than I have ever been. The past couple of years since I moved to New York I felt like I never fit in anywhere. Like I didn't belong. I think that's why I was so attached to you. I was trying to find somewhere I felt like I belonged. Now, I have found that place. Not only do I have these amazing abilities, but I have found other people who are like a family to me. People who understand me and are in the same situation as me. They have really taken me in and care for me. Please be happy for me, Bella."

I let go of him and look into his puppy dog eyes. "If you are happy Jacob, then I'm happy for you." I hug him again. I am so relieved. My guilt and sadness vanish with Jacob's words.

"Will you stay for a while? You can watch my training."

"Sure. I'd like that."

Jacob and I walk back to the house arm in arm.

Emmett begins training Jacob. "Vampires have a natural grace to them, but some still need to keep their speed limited until they get enough practice to run without tripping. If you trip while running 100 miles per hour, you are going to do some damage to whatever you fall on, maybe to yourself too. Start running, not too fast at first. Increase your speed as you get more practice."

Jacob runs back into the woods and back out again several times. On his last trip back, his foot catches a large root of a tree and he tumbles face first into the dirt. He hits so hard his face embeds into the ground. He jumps up and brushes the dirt off his face and clothes with an embarrassed smile. I hear Edward snicker very faintly and watch as Jacob stares him down. After a few seconds they both grin. _Did I miss something? When did Edward and Jacob become friends?_

Edward's warm, comforting arm wraps around my shoulders as I relax and lean into his strong body. Feelings of security and peace wash over me.

"Why don't we move to climbing trees," Emmett suggests. "You are able to jump up into trees, but now I want to teach you to climb them. Take off your shoes and socks. It's better to begin learning barefoot." Jacob obeys and removes his shoes and socks. "You want to use your fingers to grasp the tree trunk tight and dig your toes in for support. You lift with your arm muscles, using your fingers, and then follow through by moving your feet up. As you get more practice, you won't need to use your feet." Emmett moves next to a 300foot large oak tree and wraps his arms around himself, leaning against the tree. "Try climbing this."

Jacob walks over and feels the tree trunk with his hand and slowly tightens his grasp on it, his fingers digging into the truck. They sink into the bark deep, broken pieces of bark and tree fall to the ground.

"That's too hard," Jasper says as he steps closer to Jacob. "Tighten your fingers, but don't grasp the tree hard."

Jacob removes his hands and shakes the loose bark from them, then places them back on the tree trunk and holds it tight without sinking his fingers into the bark. He reaches an arm out and grasps up higher on the tree, first with his left hand, and then with his right. He places his feet on the tree trunk and wraps his feet around the trunk, keeping his toes dug in, but not too much. He starts moving up the tree, slow at first, then fast, and then very fast. Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Alice and I all cheer Jacob on. Once at the top of the tree, he suddenly takes a leap in the air, crossing a distance of about 30 feet, and lands on an adjacent tree. Encouragement in the form of cheers or whistles comes from us all.

"Looks like he has the hang of it," Emmett announces like a proud parent.

Edward is absentmindedly caressing my back with his hand as I lean against him. The caress is so sensual I almost lose track of my surroundings and have to force myself to concentrate upon Jacob's training and the others. My legs weaken and my knees feel like jelly. If I wasn't using Edward as support I may fall on the ground. My heartbeat quickens and becomes stronger. I think Edward can hear it because he glances at me and then stops rubbing my back and moves his arm up along my shoulders once again.

We all watch for several minutes as Jacob climbs up and down trees, leaping between them until he runs back to me. "Come on, Bella. Take a trip to the top of the tree with me."

I look up at the tall tree. "Um..."

"Come on. It will be fine. I won't drop you."

"Go on, Bella," Edward encourages. "I will catch you if he drops you."

"That's not making me feel better," I tease and walk to the tree. "Okay. Let's do this."

I jump on Jacob's back wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. We gracefully glide up the tree and in seconds, we reach the top. Jacob deposits me on a sturdy branch so I can look around at our surroundings. I see breath-taking scenery for miles. Autumn is coming early this year and the trees are filled with gorgeous bursts of color. The air is fresh and crisp. We spend several minutes silently looking over the scenery.

"Look, Jacob," I point to a momma bird feeding its babies in a nearby nest. Each baby has its head back, beak up in the air, chirping outcries of hunger as the mamma chews up worms and spits them into her babies' mouths.

"This view goes on for miles," Jacobs informs me. "I can't believe I get to do this any time I want!"

"Come on. Let's get your training finished," Edward yells from below.

Jacob looks at me. "Jump on," he instructs. I climb back onto his back and he carries me back down to the ground.

"I'm up," Jasper announces as he struts up to face Jacob. "I'm going to teach you how to bring your fangs down. There will be times when you need to reach for the power of your fangs and call to them to come down. Now, close your eyes and relax your body. Try to clear your mind." Jacob closes his eyes and takes a couple deep breaths. "To bring your fangs down, you need to call to the inner vampire inside yourself and access that raw power. Remember when you hunted the deer this morning. Remember how your body felt when you watched the deer drinking from the creek. You listened to its heartbeat pounding in your ear. You could hear its blood rushing. You could smell its woodsy scent filling your nostrils. Draw on that memory. As Jasper speaks, Jacob opens his mouth wide, concentrating upon the memory of drinking the deer's blood. In less than a minute, his fangs slip down over his teeth.

"That was faster than many of us," Jasper remarks. "Good job. Now the difficult part, getting them to go back. Good luck." He pats Jacob on the back and walks past him. Everyone chuckles as Jacob watches Jasper walk into the house, looking lost as to how to get his fangs to go down.

Edward takes pity upon him. "It's easier then you think. Just try to remember a happy, peaceful moment in your life." Jacob concentrates for several minutes until his fangs slide back up undetected.

"Why isn't Jacob, or anyone else here, having problems with my blood?" I ask Edward.

Carlisle answers. "Because we have been vampires long enough to be able to resist human blood, even strong human blood like yours, plus we are fed well on animal blood. Keeping ourselves fed on blood makes all the difference in controlling ourselves. Jacob has recently fed so he won't be tempted. We will have to see how he reacts to you when not recently fed. The rest of us should have no problem being near you, as long as your blood does not spill out. If you get cut, we will have to leave quickly."

"Good to know," I try to show a strong exterior, even though I'm a bit worried about what will happen if I cut myself around them. I'm so clumsy getting a cut is a fairly common event.

"Who wants to go next?" Carlisle asks.

"I will," replies Alice as she steps up to Jacob and smiles warmly. "I'm going to teach you to track both animals and humans."

"That sounds like fun!" Jacob's voice is filled with excitement. He is so full of energy that he has not stopped bouncing around since I've got here.

Alice grasps Jacobs both of Jacob's arms and holds him steady. "You first need to calm yourself, Jacob. " Jacob takes several slow, deep breaths. Alice releases his arms. Her voice turns soft. "I want you to block everything out of your mind except the sound of my voice. You are going to listen for Bella's breathing. Humans are easier to track then vampires because we don't breathe so you won't hear our breath. You have built-in predator abilities which allow you to track humans and animals."

"I hear different heartbeats but I can tell which is Bella's because the others are very soft. I can tell they come from animals."

"Very good, Jacob. Now let's test your tracking by smell."

"Bella, would you mind walking into the woods just a few feet and hide behind a large tree? I want to show Jacob how to find you? Jacob, close your eyes until Bella is situated."

"Sure." I walk into the woods and pick a tree with a wide enough trunk for me to easily hide behind. "Okay, I'm hidden."

Alice places a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Jacob, lock onto Bella's unique smell. See if you can find her scent. Every person and animal has a distinct odor. Animals smell more of earth, worms, and fecal matter. Humans smell more artificially scented from their soaps and shampoos, but with Bella, her blood is strong and sweet smelling. It knocks out all other smells and becomes almost overbearing. It should be easy to track."

"Yes, I can smell it. It's strong."

"It's not overbearing for you, is it? It shouldn't be since you just fed. Vampires who think they have no control over needing to feed on humans are just not trying hard enough. All you need to have is will power. It's no different then humans going on a strict diet. It's controllable unless she gets a cut, then you are best just getting away from her."

"This is Bella. She and Patty are my best friends. I have no desire to drink her blood and am fine around her."

"I know you will be fine around Bella," Alice says. "I've seen it."

I wonder what Alice means by she's seen it. She said something similar to that when I first met her also. She said she saw me being able to change Edward's mind. I wonder if she has some kind of psychic ability to see the future.

I hear Jacob approaching. "I've got it," he announces as I stand perfectly still hiding behind the tree. His voice sounds close. Within a second he pops up in front of me, startling me. His eyes look different. More intense. A bit scary I have to admit to myself and I wonder if this is how he looks while he's focused on a hunt.

"Good job!" I say as I follow him back to Alice, noticing he even stands more erect and looks formidable now. Jacob struts proudly back to Alice and stands by her side.

Alice continues. "With tracking animals it's the same process. You can practice that later. It's important for Esme to teach you how to control your sparkle so you can go out in public."

Esme walks into the sunlight near Jacob. "Come stand next to me in the sunlight, Jacob."

As Jacob walks into the sunlight his skin sparkles like diamonds. It's entrancing.

"Vampires have a strong will. You just need to find your point of focus. Think about a time in your life when you were determined to get or achieve something." Esme stays silent for a minute while Jacob looks like he is concentrating.

"Okay. I thought of something."

"Now remember how you felt. How you made your will drive you to determination. Now focus that will upon your skin and visualize your sparkle having a switch to turn it on or off. That switch hangs in the air next to you. It's as simple as grasping that switch and turning it off. Do it now, Jacob."

The corner of Jacob's mouth twists up as he concentrates. His eyebrows furrow together while we all watch him and wait for what seems like several minutes and nothing happens."

"I can't do it," Jacob sounds disappointed.

"Don't worry. You'll get it," Esme encourages. "Let's give you a little help focusing your mind. Bella, would you mind standing next to Jacob?"

"Sure." I walk over and stand by Jacob's side.

"Keep concentrating, Jacob. Feel Bella's presence and support by your side as you try to turn off that switch." We all wait another minute with no results.

"How about we try with Bella giving you some help. Reach out and hold Bella's hand, Jacob."

Jacob reaches down and gently grabs my hand and holds it.

I look at Edward to see what his reaction is to Jacob holding my hand and his face turns sour as he looks back and forth between Jacob and me. I try to hide my snicker but Edward notices it and rolls his eyes.

"Now Bella, reach up in the sky with your hand that Jacob holds and guide him to the switch and flick it off." I see no switch in my mind but I raise my and Jacob's hands and pretend to flick off a switch. I keep an eye on Jacob's sparkle. Slowly his sparkle fades as he continues to close his eyes until it vanishes.

"Open your eyes, Jacob," Esme instructs.

Jacob slowly opens his eyes, a wide smile beams across his face.

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 **A/N: Thanks so much for keeping the reviews, suggestions, and the love coming for each chapter. I truly appreciate you all and cannot wait to start on Chapter 8!**


	8. Chapter 8 Vamp Camp and a Proper Dinner

**Fated**

 **Chapter 8**

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 **A/N: I'm too impatient to wait for this chapter to be proofread for me so there may be some errors. If you want to point them out to me, I appreciate it and will correct them.**

 **I had much more written for Chapter 8 but decided to cut it in half and place part of it up tonight and the rest I will upload as Chapter 9 tomorrow after I make some changes. Again I am too impatient to wait and was so excited I wanted to get something up tonight. lol.**

 **I hope everyone continues to enjoy my story as much as I enjoy writing it!**

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This has been a long day of vampire training. The hours seemed to fly by. Rosalie is training Jacob on how to fight other vampires. She's wearing a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of light colored jeans, and sneakers. She looks formidable. I have to admit I would be scared if she was training me. As she talks she circles Jacob, as if he's prey, leaving about 12 feet between them.

"Take everything you know about fighting and throw it out the window. Fighting vampires is nothing like fighting humans. Humans fight defensively because they are weak. Vampires are the ultimate predators. We fight offensively. We use our speed and strength to attack in places you leave open or places that are vulnerable. Our speed allows us to successfully attack from any angle."

Rosalie is fast as lightning as she attacks from the side giving Jacob an undercut in his ribs, then dashes back to her original place. I cringe as Jacob lets out a gush of air and bends over, his hand pressing against his injured ribs. He never takes his eyes off Rosalie as she begins circling him again.

"When we focus all our strength into one small area it gives us a deadly attack using only our hands." Rosalie rushes Jacob. Jacob stands firm, arms at his sides and in front of his chest, fists up, blocking his ribs. His feet planted firmly on the ground. She pushes her arms out, palms flat outward and connects with Jacob's solar plexus, sending him flying backward 10 feet. He hits the ground and slides another 10 feet, dirt piling up around his legs.

"That's enough, Rosalie," Alice interjects. He needs time to practice his new abilities and fighting, not just be knocked on his ass." Rosalie shrugs. Alice walks up to Jacob and holds out her hand. Jacob accepts Alice's help to stand and knocks the dirt chunks off the back of his jeans. Large dirt indentations are left in the ground from his legs and butt.

I think it's really sweet the way Alice came to Jacob's defense. Rosalie seems like a tough cookie.

Alice waits for Jacob to clean himself up a bit the begins teaching him. "The fighting between vampires is done to wear your opponent down. Once you've done that sufficiently you can go in for the kill." In less than a second Alice kicks off of Jacob's stomach and leaps into the air, landing with her feet on Jacob's shoulders. "This is a very dangerous position to allow yourself to get into. From here I can simply twist your head off of your body and kill you."

"That doesn't sound like fun," Jacob teases.

"It's not." Alice jumps down to the ground and is facing Jacob.

"That move you just witnessed is Alice's signature move for killing vampires." Rosalie proudly informs Jacob. "You don't want to know how many she killed with that move." Jacob whistles in admiration.

"This time, when I jump onto your stomach, grab my foot with your right hand and hold it on your stomach then swing your other arm down with force, and bring your fist down hard on my knee. This will either knock me to the ground or break my knee cap, so please, don't do it hard." Alice orders.

"I won't, Jacob reassures her."

"I trust you," Alice smiles sweetly at Jacob. She jumps in the air, her foot lands on Jacob's stomach. Jacob quickly grabs her foot and holds it in place. He takes his other arm and swings it down, bringing his hand down on her knee very gently and rests it there, staring into Alice's eyes with a proud smile.

"That's not going to help you much, Jacob, if you just hold someone's leg," Alice and Jacob laugh as Jacob lets go of Alice's leg.

"It's getting late and we have been at this for hours. Why doesn't everyone come inside and we will have a proper sit-down dinner. We have not had one of those in a long time," Esme announces. I hadn't noticed her and Carlisle were gone until they opened the back door of the house and were standing inside.

I turn to face Edward and talk in a low voice. "I didn't think vampires ate food."

Esme turns towards me. "We don't. But you and Edward do." She smiles and then walks inside.

Everyone follows her inside. The house is a gorgeous log cabin consisting of large light colored logs. The inside has cathedral ceilings with beautiful large beams running across the ceiling and cherry wood paneling walls. There are lots of large ceiling to floor windows that give beautiful views of the woods.

Esme leads us to the dining room which has a large oval wooden table at the center. An antler chandelier sits above the table and hand-drawn portraits of each member of the extended family line the walls.

Edward pulls a chair out for me and after I sit, he takes a seat to my right. Jacob sits to my left and Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie sit across from us. Esme and Carlisle are at the ends of the table. Esme and Rosalie go into the kitchen and bring out 2 plates of Spaghetti and meatballs and set one in front of both Edward and myself. After a quick thank you, Edwards begins eating immediately and quickly. He looks up from his meal to see everyone watching him chow down his food and his cheeks flush. "I haven't eaten all day," he offers as an excuse as I snicker.

"Then you must never eat any day by the way you always scoff your food down." Rosalie teases. Edward laughs.

I look to Esme. "That was very nice of you cooking for me and Edward. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. I never get to cook so this was fun. So, What classes are you taking at college?" Esme asks.

"I'm going for a degree in journalism," I say in between mouthfuls of spaghetti.

"That sounds interesting."

"It is. I'm really enjoying it."

"Bella works at the diner around her class schedule. She's also taking the self-defense class I help Officer Tabers teach at the college," Edward says.

"And that is where you knew James from, Bella? Edward said he was your gym partner?" Carlisle asks.

I shake my head affirmatively. "Yes. I never even noticed him before he came up to me during class."

"Well, He certainly does not represent all vampires. Many of us do not harm humans nor drink their blood. It's a good thing Edward took care of him. Now you don't have to worry about him anymore," Carlisle says matter of factly.

"Yes. That's good." I remember the image I saw while passing out of Edward grabbing James by the neck and the smell of sulfur and burnt flesh. I try to shake it from my mind. Then turn to Edward.

"I would like to learn some of the moves you were teaching Jacob today. Is it possible for me to learn some hardcore self-defense moves?"

"What's wrong. Your self-defense class isn't good enough?" Edward asks as he laughs.

"I would like to learn some moves so if anyone tries knocking me to the ground the way James did, I can defend myself."

"That's not a bad idea, Edward," Alice says. "You could teach Bella some moves so she would stand a chance against an attack. Even if those moves only give her an extra second or two, that may be enough time for her to hold off a vampire until you arrive."

Edward rubs his chin between his fingers, thinking. "That may be a good idea, I can show you some moves after your classes on Monday."

"Sounds good!" I sit up straight in my chair, excited about training with Edward.

"You better watch out, Edward. Bella was killer the way she jumped on that vampires back, trying to hold him off while telling me to run." Jacob tells Edward.

"What?" Edward's loud voice echos through the house as he turns his head and stares at me, his eyes fierce. "What were you thinking? I can't believe..." I can tell the bossy, domineering Officer Cullen that I met coming home from the bar is emerging. I cross my arms over my chest preparing to fight against Edward's lecture. "That is insane!"

I feel my face flush with anger. "Jacob is my friend, whom I've placed in danger. All I cared about was saving my friend, and I didn't do a very good job of that."

"From what Jacob told me, he came in to save you! You were supposed to run!..."

Carlisle cuts off Edward. "Edward, Have you made any progress with the Original that was after Bella?" Edward looks at Carlisle and back at me. I'm so thankful Carlisle stopped him. I don't want to have a full blown fight in front of everyone.

Edward's sight leaves me and his eyes lower. I see his jaw tighten. "Not yet."

"Is it possible he was just passing through and once he got your scent, Edward, he decided to keep moving along?"

"That's what I'm hoping but I don't want to let my guard down just in case. I'm keeping a close eye on Bella. If he is still around, he will make his move soon."

"And I can help protect Bella now also," Jacob says proudly.

"You need to practice turning off your sparkle so you can go out in public during daylight. Once isn't good enough. You have to be able to turn it off and keep it off all day without it draining too much of your energy." Alice lectures.

"Right, boss." Jacob teases as he salutes Alice and Alice lightly punches his arm. It seems a day together training has turned Alice and Jacob into close friends.

Esme jumps up. "I almost forgot dessert." She disappears into the kitchen and comes out carrying two plates with chocolate mousse cake topped with marshmallows. "I really enjoyed baking this." She holds the plates out in front of Edward. "Edward, do you mind?"

He closes his eyes for a second and lets out a long breath. Smoke begins to come from his mouth and then a little puff of fire spits out. He turns toward the plates and the marshmallows catch fire. Esme lets them burn a few seconds until a caramel color is coating them, then she blows them out and sets the plates down in front of Edward and me.

I have not stopped staring at Edward since the fire came out of his mouth, my mouth dropped open. Everyone grows quiet. I let my gaze wander across everyone at the table and find all eyes are staring at me, awaiting my reaction. I take a slow, deep breath. "Holy crap!" Is all I manage to say. Everyone bursts out in laughter.


	9. Chapter 9 Intro The Coven

**Fated**

 **Chapter 9**

We have been at Alice's house so long it's dark when we leave. Edward and I are exchanging stories from our past years and chatting about college when his cell rings. He takes a peek at the number. "It's the station. I have to get it."

"Officer Cullen." I can only hear Edward's side of the conversation. "I'm close to that area now. I'll call Alice and have her meet me there." Edward ends the conversation and looks at me. "That was my captain. He wants me to check out a mutilated animal. Two teenagers found it in the woods. I'll take you home and then fly back here."

"Can I go with you, Please?"

"You sure? It could be gory?"

"I'm positive. Gore doesn't bother me."

"Okay." He takes out his cell phone and dials Alice's number. "Captain called about a mutilated animal in the woods off of Pine Drive, about ¼ mile from Locust St. I'm bringing Bella." He ends his conversation.

"Alice will meet us there."

We pull into a small parking area along Pine Drive. Next to our car, there is a walking path that leads into the woods. Alice is waiting for us at the beginning of the trail. She looks happy and full of energy, as always. I just left her not that long ago and I'm happy to see her again already. I get out of the car and race up to greet her again.

"I brought a flashlight for you Bella, so you can see. " Alice hands it to me.

"Thanks, Alice. That is so thoughtful of you."

Edward takes the lead walking down the path.

Alice wraps her arm around mine. "Come on." We follow behind Edward.

We make our way down the darkened path, Alice and Edward looking to either side of the path, searching where I'm unable to see. I'm excited to be out here on a job with them. After walking about a quarter mile, both Edward and Alice stick their noses up into the air at the same time. They sniff and then turn their heads toward the left of the path. I'm amazed at their tracking abilities. I feel lucky to be able to observe such formidable creatures in action.

"This way," Edward says as he takes the lead. We walk through leaves and old branches and twigs, working our way through the woods until we come across a dead animal lying on the ground. I hold the flashlight on it to get a better look. It's a dead deer. Edward bends down and turns it's head towards the right and checks it's neck. "Two fang marks. It's a vampire."

"But isn't that what vampires are supposed to do?" I say.

"Not kill them. Just drink some blood and leave them with enough to still walk and be alert. There are too many vampires in New York, if they all killed animals each time they fed, it would be noticeable something was going on and people would panic. The special department Alice and I work for, enforce such vampire rules and when the rules are broken, we find the vampires responsible." I get goosebumps from hearing Edward speak so ominously.

"Over here." We hear Alice yell from about 50 feet further through the woods. Edward sniffs the air again and begins walking as I follow behind. We find Alice standing over the corpse of a man.

"Vampire?" Edward asks.

"Yes, but it's more than that." Alice bends down and pulls the corpse's shirt up exposing his chest. Claw marks are covering his chest. Clawed into his chest is an S inside a circle.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"It's a vampire coven. That S and circle are their insignia. They refuse to abide by vampire law and do what they want. They torture their victims leaving their insignia behind to tease us with their victory. Edward and I were just given the case this week to track them down and eliminate them. We were informed they moved to New York about a month ago." Alice's voice is icy.

Alice takes a picture of the clawed insignia on her cell phone as Edward leans in close to the corpse and sniffs. "There's no blood left to track." He says to Alice and then faces me.

"If there was blood left in the body and it was a fresh kill, we could try to track the blood while it is still in the vampire's body."

"You can't track vampires by their smell?" I ask Edward.

"Not now. It's been here too long. Probably for two days. Their scent is gone." Edward searches the ground. "There's no marks from a body dropping to the ground. They probably attacked him here as opposed to grabbing him from somewhere else and bringing him here." Edward stops and bends down. He stands up holding two old fashioned single wooden matchsticks. One with a burnt match head and the other an unlit green match head. Alice walks over to take a closer look.

"They look like fireplace matchsticks," I say.

Alice takes the unlit one from Edward's hand and turns it around in her hand. "Fireplace matchsticks are longer. These are just old fashioned wooden matchsticks. Some people prefer them, especially for lighting cigars." Alice holds out the matchstick for me to inspect.

I reach out to take the matchstick from Alice's hand. When I touch it, my vision suddenly goes blurry. I get a sharp pain over my eyes, causing me to rest a hand over my closed eyes. A vision begins to build in my head. I see a man walking through a dimly lit bar. He is wearing an old, worn down, leather jacket and jeans. He sits down at the bar and orders a drink. I cannot hear what he is saying. My vision is fuzzy so I don't see the details of his face. The man pulls a small wooden box out of his jacket pocket and pulls out of it, a matchstick with a green head. He pulls a cigar out of the same pocket and lights it with the matchstick. I see on his finger an odd symbol tattooed on his finger. It looks like half a circle resting on top of a line.

Edward grasps my arm, knocking me out of my vision. "Bella, are you alright?"

I look up at him. "I saw something when I touched the matchstick.

"What do you mean..."

"I know what she means. Bella, describe what you saw." I relay what I saw to Edward and Alice. "Is there anything else you can remember? Can you see the name of the bar?" Alice questions me.

"No." I shake my head. "I'm sorry. I've got a full-blown migraine. I think I need to go home and rest."

Alice places a comforting hand on my back. "Of course you do. Getting visions is hard work. You did well. Go home and rest and drink plenty of water. If you have Chamomile tea, that helps." Alice says as she hugs me.

"I'll stay and call this in if you want to take Bella home," Alice says to Edward.

"Thanks, Alice," Edward says before he scoops me up into his arms and carries me back to the car. We remain silent the rest of the ride home while I keep my eyes closed and lean my seat back to rest. When we pull up to my place, Edward quietly opens my car door, scoops me up into his arms once again and carries me inside. Patty greets us as Edward carries me to the couch, telling Patty I have a migraine and to take good care of me, he kisses me gently on the forehead, says goodnight, and leaves.


	10. Chapter 10 Searching for the Coven

**Fated**

 **Chapter 10**

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you everyone for your patience in waiting for Chapter 10. I've been having some health that have slowed my writing down, but I should be able to get the next chapter up sooner. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

It's been a week since I've seen Edward and Jacob. Edward and Alice went to Pennsylvania, where the vampire coven came from, to investigate. Jacob has been busy continuing his training on how to control his sparkle. I have not seen either of them since last weekend at Alice's house. I picked up extra shifts at work this week to keep myself busy, but today is Saturday and I don't have school or work this weekend and I'm wondering what I'm going to do with myself.

After my morning shower, I throw on a comfortable black t-shirt and a pair of jeans and start down the stairs.

"Bella," Patty yells as I'm trotting down the stairs. "Look who has come to visit."

I hit the last step, turn towards the kitchen, and see Patty and Jacob sitting at the island together. They both turn in their seats to face me. Jacob is wearing a proud grin. I'm shocked to see him controlling his sparkle already. Edward said that could take weeks to learn.

"Jacob! You're the last person I expected to see here!" I walk up to Jacob and hug him.

"Why?" Patty says.

Jacob and I both look at Patty and then at each other, speechless for a moment.

"Because it feels like it's been forever since we've seen him," I give as an excuse as I hug Jacob again. This fake perky personality is so not me, but it's the best excuse I could come up with off the top of my head.

"It hasn't been that long, Bella. But I'm glad you're here too Jacob!" Patty, wanting attention, stands up and hugs Jacob. Then she releases him.

"I have to get going to work now, but let's go to Otoole's tonight, guys!" Patty suggests as she looks back and forth between myself and Jacob.

"That sounds good with me," Jacob says.

I look at Jacob like I'm surprised he even wants to go to bars anymore. I thought he would be wanting to do vampire stuff, whatever that is.

"Come on, Bella. Let's hang out for at least a little bit. You can meet up with Officer Fine Ass later." Patty says. Jacob snickers.

"Well, maybe for just a little bit." It would be a fun distraction and something to do until Edward returns.

"Great!" Patty says.

Patty turns to Jacob. "There is something different about you." She leans in close to him, her eyes scrutinizing him. "I just can't figure out what it is." Jacob tenses.

"Your eyes are different!" Patty says.

Panic rising in my chest, I quickly look at Jacob's eyes, expecting them to have turned Ocher like other vampire's eyes. They are the same dark, maple brown eyes he's always had. I breathe a sigh of relief. They do look more intense though. I wonder why his eyes didn't turn Ocher.

"I had to get contacts," Jacob tells Patty. "I think they make my eyes look a little more sparkly."

Patty takes a closer look. "Yes. That's it. They look more intense."

My cell rings and when I look at the number calling my heart jumps. "It's Edward!" I exclaim.

"Don't pick it up right away. It will make you look desperate. Let it ring," Patty advises. She has too many dating rules I just can't keep up with. I answer immediately.

"Hi!" I'm embarrassed at how overly excited I just sounded.

"Bella, How are you? I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Edward.

"I'm sorry I've been absent so long. I never want to be away from you this long, but I had no choice. The sooner Alice and I find this coven, fewer people will die."

"I understand, Edward. Really I do."

"I hope you don't mind, but I've been having Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme keep an eye on you while I'm gone. They have been taking turns watching over you but keeping their distance so you don't feel stalked."

"I didn't know anyone was watching me. I'll have to thank them all for that, and tell them next time they should come in and visit and relax. If they are going to have to babysit me, they may as well do it comfortably."

Edward laughs. "I'll be sure to tell them that, but they don't have to babysit anymore."

"Why?" My heart is racing with excitement in the hopes he is back."

"Because we're back. In fact, if you are not doing anything right now, Alice and I would like to come over. You may be able to help us with this case some more."

"That would be great! I'd love to! Jacob is here also. Patty is too but she's leaving for work now." Patty has the front door open and is waving goodbye to me. I wave and mouth 'see you tonight' to her.

"Bye Bella, bye Jacob," Patty says.

"Bye Officer Fine Ass," Patty whispers and closes the door behind her. If Edward hears Patty, he makes no mention of it.

"Great. We're on our way now." Edward's voice turns soft and sexy "See you soon, Bella."

"Bye." I try a deep voice but instead of sounding sexy I think my voice sounds like I have a cold. I remember Jacob is still here listening to my conversation and feel my cheeks blush.

"Edward and Alice are on their way over to see if I can help with their case."

"Alice told me you had a vision. Who knew our Bella is a psychic," Jacob teases.

"I never had an experience like that before. It was really weird but in an awesome way. I just wish I didn't get such a bad headache afterward. I've been wondering, why haven't your eyes turned Ocher like other vampires?"

Jacob smiles a toothy smile at me. "They have...Color contacts. Alice got them for me."

I hear a knock at the door. I'm so excited and jittery as I race to the door, I trip over my own two feet and fall onto the floor, letting out a gasp of air. Suddenly my front door bursts open wide and Edward comes racing in. I look up at him, feeling ridiculous as I lay still sprawled on the floor. Alice walks in behind him. Both staring down at me.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asks.

"Yes. I'm fine. I just tripped," I say as Edward wraps his arms around me and helps me to my feet. I look past him to see if he broke my door.

"The door's fine. I just popped the lock."

I raise an eyebrow.

"I thought you were in trouble," he says as he grins sheepishly. I hug him and then turn to Alice, with Edward's arm around my shoulders.

"It's good to see you again, Alice."

"It's good to see you too, Bella. We thought maybe you could help us again with our case."

"I'd love to. Let's go in the kitchen and sit and I can make some more coffee." Alice and Edward follow me to the kitchen island and I put another pot of coffee on.

"Hi, Jacob!" Alice says in her usual energetic manner. "I see you are doing well at your training to control your sparkle."

"Yes. Good job," Edward adds. I look at Edward, surprised he and Jacob are on such friendly terms.

Jacob stands up and takes a bow." Thank you. Esme says I still can't stay out in public during daylight in case I get tired and my sparkle starts to come through, but she said I can visit Bella and see how long I can control it. If I'm able to keep controlling it, I may be able to go back to school soon."

"That's great, Jacob," I tell him as everyone takes a seat around my kitchen island.

"Did you find any clues in Pennsylvania?" I ask both Edward and Alice. Edward looks at Alice, waiting for her to explain.

We spoke with a special unit team in PA and they said the coven had taken over an old abandoned quarry deep in the woods. By the time they found the place, the coven had moved on. They lived in the abandoned building and dumped the dead bodies in the quarry when they were finished with them. The carving of the S inside a circle is some sort of ritual they use to sacrifice their victims to their god. They believe they gain favor for each sacrificed body. We investigated the place but there was nothing we could use to trace the coven and no more clues.

"So how can I help?" I ask.

"Edward takes my hand. You don't have to if you don't want to. We will both understand completely."

"What, Edward?"

"Well, if you were to come to PA to check out the site, we thought maybe you would be able to pick up some information from the area. The bodies are gone but Alice thought you may be able to pick up information from the ground or just being in the area."

"That's what I do, Bella. I can pick up information just by being in a certain area, however, the information I receive is always about the future. I can't envision the past, but you can," Alice says.

"Sure. I would like to do that. How long of a drive is it?"

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but, it's only about 20 minutes by wing travel," Edward states with a sweet smile.

"I'm ready and can go anytime," I say enthusiastically.

"I can start running and meet you two there in about 45 minutes," Alice says.

"No need. I can place an arm around you both and fly all three of us there," Edward says and then turns to look at Jacob. "Sorry, but you have to sit this one out."

"I know. I'll go back to the house and practice more training. Good luck everyone, and Bella I will talk to you tonight. Bye." In a flash Jacob is out the door and gone.

Edward looks at me. "Tonight?"

Oh crap. I really wish I didn't have to tell him this. "Patty and Jacob wanted to...um." Edward raises an eyebrow. "They asked if I...would go to Otoole's with them tonight, just for a bit." There I said it, even through his stare. Why does his cop persona still make me nervous.

"You're going to be drinking alcohol?" Edward's stare intensifies.

"Oh Edward, she's young and healthy. Of course, she's going to have some drinks. Stop being such a cop!" Alice interjects for me. "I'm sure she will be responsible and only have a couple drinks."

"Yes," I manage to stutter out. Remembering my last adventure at the bar, my cheeks flush lightly. I can hardly blame Edward for worrying after seeing me so drunk. "I will only have two drinks and will make sure to get dinner there."

Edward moves in close to me. "I will be keeping an eye on you anyway, so please don't get drunk. If you do, I may just have to threaten the bartenders to never serve you again." Edward warns.

"You wouldn't?" I ask hesitantly. Edward responds only with a smile. I really don't know if he is bluffing or not, but this isn't the time or place for an argument. I let it drop so we can get to work on that vampire coven.

* * *

We made it to the abandoned quarry in 20 minutes. The three of us are walking around outside. I'm trying to remember what I did to receive the first vision I had, but nothing is happening. I'm touching the ground, and even the stones in the quarry, but I'm getting nothing.

"Why don't we try going inside the building? That's where they nested," Edward says.

The building is a small, mostly empty, old factory. There are old cardboard boxes lined up along the walls and old crates thrown on the floor. In one area there are mattresses thrown on the floor with blankets and pillows on top of them. Old coffee cups lie on the floor. On a worktable lies an old coffee pot and some rope and a knife. Several steel poles that run from ceiling to floor have cut rope looped around them, evidence of hostage victims. In a few places, dried puddles of blood remain on the floor.

I touch a piece of rope on the worktable and close my eyes. Nothing. I try the knife and the coffee pot and still receive nothing. Edward and Alice are staying quiet as they walk around so not to disturb me. I continue walking around and trying to bring on visions.

On one wall, the symbol of an S inside a circle is drawn in blood. I walk up to the symbol and place my palm against it. Suddenly my eyesight is filled with the vision of a blonde haired man tied with his hands behind his back, to a steel pole. His shirt is torn to rags on the floor, exposing his well-muscled chest. A vampire with yellow/blonde spiky hair, wearing a dark leather jacket and jeans, is digging his sharpened fingernail into the man's chest in a circle. Blood drips down the man's chest as he screams. The vampire laughs as he completes the circle and etches a large S into the middle of it. The vampire unties the man, grabs him by the back of the neck, drags him to the middle of the floor where another S inside a circle is drawn in blood, and throws the man into the center of the circle on the floor. My vision ends abruptly. Edward and Bella wait quietly by my side.

I quickly look around the room and spot a dried puddle of blood on the floor. I walk over to it, bend down and run my fingers across the dried blood. I leave my fingers linger, touching the blood. Once again my vision comes to life. The vampire I saw in my first vision walks up to the man on the floor and speaks out loud to the sky. The rest of the vampires encircle them.

"Father, Ambrogio, we make this sacrifice in your queen's name and honor. For you are the god of the undead. The father of vampires. We beseech you, give us strength, speed, and attack deadlier than any of your creatures. Allow us to rise up and overthrow all Originals and all those who oppose us." He jumps onto the man lying on the floor and bites his neck. The rest of the vampires, about 20 in all, jump on the man and together they drain him of his blood. My vision ends.

I try to stand back up but my legs are wobbly. Edward races to my side and helps me stand. I relay to him and Alice what I saw in my vision.

"So, they are worshiping Ambrogio and dedicating the men they kill to his bride Selena. They want to overpower Originals and become the world's leading vampires," Edward says.

"That will never happen," says Alice.

"We need to get a map and search for abandoned quarry's in PA," Edward says. I don't know where else to start."

"Don't forget in my first vision I saw the man in a bar," I say.

"I know but I wish we had more to go on than just a matchstick and a couple symbols," says Edward.

"Can I try to get a vision from the matchstick again?" I ask Alice.

"You look tired out already. I don't want you to overdo it and harm yourself, Bella." Edward says with concern in his eyes as he lays a hand across my shoulders.

"I'm not as bad as I was the first time and my headache is just starting. I think I'll be alright." I say.

Alice hands me the matchstick. Something feels different than before. I feel like I need to keep my eyes open this time. A wispy cloud of smoke begins to form in front of my face. It builds until it turns into the size of a football and then the inside of the cloud clears and slowly reveals a picture.

"How are you doing this, Bella?" Edward asks.

"You mean you can see it?"

"We both see it, " Alice says.

"I don't know," I continue to focus on the cloud in front of my eyes and slowly inside the cloud is a picture of the inside of the bar I saw in my first vision. Then that vision wisps away and I see behind the bar, a river. The vision ends. My knees go weak and I almost collapse on the floor but Edward catches me and picks me up in his arms once again.

"Edward, I just want to see if I can see anything else."

"No. You are exhausted and I bet you have a terrible headache too. You're not doing anymore today."

"But I may be able to get something important, Edward!"

His voice is gentle but stern. "No, Bella. I'm not going to let you do any more today. Everything will still be here tomorrow."

I let out a sigh of defeat and annoyance and hand Alice the matchstick back and then relax in Edward's strong arms. He seems to have more sense then I do about taking care of me.

"Bella, how were you able to do that?" Alice asks.

"I have no idea. I didn't do anything different. Other than Edward was touching me this time."

"Together your abilities could be drawing on each other and creating something new," Alice explains as Edward carries me outside and Alice follows.

"Before we leave, I would like to get an aerial view of the area just to make sure we're not missing any clues," Edward says.

"I'll stay here with Bella," Alice replies.

Edward kisses me quickly on the lips and then sets me down on the ground. He gives me a wink and in a flash, his fire-wings are out and he leaps into the sky. The sound of his wings thumping against the air fill me with a sense of awe.

* * *

"Bella, why don't you sit. You look like you're going to fall over," Alice says.

"Good idea." I take her advice and sit down on the grass. Alice sits next to me.

"You two really are cute together, Bella," Alice says.

"He's changed my whole world, Alice. I don't know how I ever got through life without him."

"I can see you are his world too," Alice says.

"I really..."

"Shhhh," Alice says. She quietly stands up and closes her eyes, concentrating upon her hearing. I watch her quietly, my heart thumping a bit inside my chest.

Alice whispers. "Bella, don't move or make a sound. We're being watched by a vampire. I'm hoping he hasn't caught your scent, yet." Alice runs so fast she is a blur going by me. She heads into the woods to the left of me and disappears behind the trees. I sit quietly, trying not to move or breathe loudly. After a couple minutes, I stand up and peer through the trees to my left, trying to see Alice.

"You another garnet miner out for a fun day at the abandoned quarry?"

I turn and look to my right. Walking out of the woods towards me is a man wearing a red flannel shirt and jeans.

"I don't see your tools. I've left mine back at the car. No use carrying them until I scout a good possible mining location. You didn't say what you were after. Garnet?"

"I'm not here to mine. I'm just visiting. Me and my friends."

The man steps closer to me and looks around. I see now he has pale skin and red eyes. He's a vampire.

"Friends? I don't see any friends?" He says.

"They're around." I try to sound confident. One step closer and I'm planning on screaming and running.

I feel a light breeze come up behind me and suddenly Alice is standing in front of me, blocking me from the vampire. She's poised to fight. The vampire stops advancing.

"Ah. This must be one of your friends how. Hello there, friend. I caught a scent and thought I'd come by and check it out," the man says.

"There's nothing for you here," Alice tells him.

"Are you and your friend looking for something?"

Alice steps up closer to him. "Yes. We're looking for some others, a specific coven. Would you know of them? They have a sigil they use, I can show you what it is if you think you may know them?" Alice lightly touches the vampire's arm. She quietly holds her hand on his arm for a few seconds and stares off into space. She's secretly receiving visions.

Alice turns to look at me. "Bella, get back!" Alice kicks her leg up high in the air and her foot connects with the vampire's nose, knocking him backward. She rushes him, arm outstretched, and hits him across the neck, knocking him to the ground. I back up giving them plenty of space. He jumps up and opens his mouth, showing his fangs coming down. Alice does the same. He advances on Alice, grabs her by the arm and flips her face forward onto the ground on her back. He then lifts his foot high and stomps on her neck, pinning her to the ground. I look around me and see a large rock. I grab it in both hands, run up close to them, and throw the rock with all my might, hitting him in the head. The rock bounces off. When he turns to look at me and growl, Alice kicks up high and hits him in the chest with her foot, knocking him backward and off of her. She leaps onto her feet. I back up again and continue watching from a safer distance.

Alice stands still as he rushes her. When he gets close, Alice leaps up into the air, he runs past her. She comes down with both feet landing on the back of his knee. A loud crunch echos through the air and he goes down to the ground with a scream. His Fibula bone is sticking out of his leg. Alice walks up to him, bends down, and grabs his head in her arm, putting him in a headlock. He struggles uselessly against her iron grip. She reaches down and grabs his shirt and rips it completely off of him with one hand.

"Bella, be a dear wouldn't you and check this man to see if he has any marks on his body that look like our symbol? He can't hurt you. I have him."

I walk up close to him but stand outside of touching distance and look at his arms and then chest. Alice twists him onto his stomach so I can check his back. "No marks," I say.

"Could you pull off his pants and check everywhere?" Alice asks.

I raise my eyebrows. "Everywhere?"

Alice nods her head. "Uh huh."

"Okay." I lean down over top of him and unsnap his jeans and then grab them at the sides of the waist and start tugging. They are not coming down easily. I bend down further into half of a squat position and tug harder. I hear the sound of something moving behind me and turn my head to look. Edward is standing there watching us, with a smirk on his face. I feel ridiculous.

"I was...Alice wanted..." I'm frozen half bent over with my hands on this vampires jean's waist stammering like an idiot, then Edward bursts out in laughter.

"When you're done laughing, maybe you could come help," Alice tells him, hiding her snicker behind a hand. I give up and drop the vampire's jeans and step away.

Edward steps up and grabs the bottom leg of the vampire's jeans and tugs, he is actually being gentle making sure to pull the jeans off gently around his broken bone. He then checks the vampire for any tattoos of the symbol we saw.

"He's clean. No marks," Edward tells us.

Alice lets him go and he slumps to the ground, grabbing his broken leg.

"Did you get anything out of him?" Edward asks Alice.

"We hadn't gotten that far yet."

Edward bends down to the look the vampire in the eyes. "This is how this is going to go. You tell me everything I want to know about the vampire coven that was living here, and I will let you keep the flesh attached to your body."

"Go to hell!" The vampire said and spat at Edward. Edward dodged the spit.

"Let's try this again. But I'm only giving you this one last chance." Edward leaned in close to the vampire, staring him in the eyes. I see fear begin to rise in the vampire's eyes. Edward's body slowly starts to glow that beautiful red ember flow that makes him look like a formidable god.

"You're a...dragon!" The vampire stares for a minute, before spilling everything he knows. "They're called the Sjorginys. They are power hungry. They let me live as long as I brought people to them to feed off of. They kill anyone. People, other vampires. They think if they can gain enough power they can take down Originals. They have a biker gang of humans that worship them and do their bidding. The biker gang searches for special humans for them. Like her." The vampire nods toward me. "They drink their blood and gain their powers."

"Where are they now?" Edward asks.

"I don't know."

Edward lets out a tiny cough and a puff of fire spits out towards the vampire. His eyes widen in fear.

"They went to New York. I don't know exactly where, but the biker gang is always close by. I know they are staying at a bar in Athens along the Hudson River."

Edward stands back up. "Thank you. You have been very helpful."

"Will you let me go?"

"He caught Bella's scent," Alice says.

"I'd like to, but you picked up on Bella's scent. You will never leave her alone now."

"I swear I will leave here and never come back. I won't ever bother her and will tell no one about her."

Edward's eyes meet Alice's and Alice shakes her head no. She has seen differently. Alice jumps up into the air, her feet land on the vampire's shoulders. She reaches down and grabs his head with her hands and pulls. He claws at her legs trying to get her off. I turn my head away and cringe when I hear a sloppy popping sound.

* * *

 **A/N: This story and plot and everything (other than the characters) are my original works and are NOT to be copied or reproduced. I have found out there is an unethical site copying stories from FanFiction, without permission, and posting them on their site.**


	11. Chapter 11 The Search Continues

**Fated**

 **Chapter 11**

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 11 became too large so I split it into 2 chapters. I am posting Chapter 11 now and will post Chapter 12 tomorrow, Sunday.**

 **Please excuse any mistakes. I have been too excited about getting my chapters up and am placing them up before StormyMonday gets a chance to review them so please know all mistakes are mine!**

 **I hope everyone enjoys! Thank you all for your wonderful, encouraging comments!**

* * *

After Edward dropped me off at home, I slept on my couch for several hours. I sit up on my couch, rubbing my eyes. My migraine is gone and I feel energized from my long nap.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" I turn toward the kitchen and spot Alice sitting at the island.

"Oh, Hi, Alice. I had forgotten you were staying here. I'm feeling much better now. Do you really think it's necessary for you guys to have to keep watch over me all the time? I'm sure you all have much better things to do."

"I was just on the phone with Edward telling him that I don't think you are in any danger any longer. If that Original was still after you, he would have made another move by now. Edward probably scared him off."

"Good. I hope Edward agreed with you?"

"Yes. He did, Bella. You don't have to be watched anymore."

"Thank goodness. I was beginning to think Edward was going to babysit me my entire life." Alice and I laugh.

Alice pulls out her cell phone and punches in numbers. "I told Edward I would call him when you woke up. He wants to come over and see if you or I can pick up on any visions of where the vampire coven is by using a map. I told him I've never done it before but it's worth a try."

"I'd love to try it. Tell him to come on over," I say.

"Hi, Edward. Bella is awake. She said to come on over. Okay. Bye."

"He's on his way now. You're doing really well with your abilities, Bella. You're a natural at it," Alice says.

"What I was able to do with Edward touching me was amazing. Do other psychics who mate with dragons get special abilities too?"

"There are not that many dragons in existence to have much information about them, but there are rumors that dragons can amplify and even create new abilities in their psychic mates, what those new abilities are there is no information about. I think you are going to find you can do some amazing things as your abilities grow and your connection to Edward solidifies."

Three knocks at the door interrupt our conversation. I trot to the door and throw it open. Edward, gorgeous as ever, is on the other side. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him as he wraps his arms around me.

"How are you feeling?" His voice is soft and sexy. His warm breath caresses by my ear. I let go of Edward and look him in the eyes.

"I'm doing good. I recuperated much faster than last time."

"Good," Edward smiles.

"Come on in." We walk into the kitchen and Edward unfolds a large map and sets it down upon the kitchen island. He, Alice and I lean over it. Alice and I listen as Edward talks.

"All these areas I marked in red are bars along the river. As you can see, there are quite a few of them. If we have to, we'll go to every bar and look for the bikers, but that's going to take days. If either of you can receive a vision on which bar they are at or even an area, that would cut down on our time searching for them."

"I want to try but I have no idea what to do," I say.

"First take a few deep breaths and try to clear your mind," Alice says. I close my eyes and take several slow deep breaths, emptying my mind of all thoughts. I open my eyes and look at Alice for further instructions. "Try placing your hand on the map, palm facing down, and see if you get any visions," Alice instructs. I place my palm on the map and close my eyes once again trying to receive visions for over a minute. Then I open my eyes.

"I'm not getting anything. Can I try holding the matchstick while I touch the map?" I say.

"Sure." Alice pulls a little case out of her jeans pocket, opens it up and takes out the matchstick. She hands it to me. I keep it in my left hand while keeping my right palm pressed against the map. I still receive nothing.

"Nothing," I say.

"Do you want me to touch you, Bella? To see if that helps?" Edward asks.

"Yes. Let's try that," I say and Edward places his hand on my shoulder. I still receive nothing.

"I'm sorry I'm just not getting anything," I sigh, disappointed.

"It's okay, Bella. You can't expect to receive visions every time you try. I'll give it a go now and see if I can get anything," Alice says. Alice places her palm flat on the map and closes her eyes. After a minute or two, she moves her hand above the map and holds it in the air, staying silent. Finally, she looks up.

"Doesn't look like I'm getting anything either. Sorry Edward," Alice says.

"It was a long shot. Thank you both for trying. I guess we are just going to have to go there and search every single bar that's on the Hudson River. It will take days but we have no other choice," Edward says.

"When do you want to leave," Alice asks.

"Let's leave first thing in the morning. The quicker we get there, the quicker we get home."

"Sounds good," Alice tells Edward.

Edward turns toward me. "Sorry. It looks like I'm off again for a few days."

I frown. "I wish I could have helped." A thought enters my mind and I perk up, excited. "I could go with you two and see if I receive any..."

"Absolutely not!" Edward's voice cuts in, stern and authoritative. "That's too dangerous. It's out of the question!"

"I was able to help when we went to PA. I may be able to pick up visions if I go with you tomorrow!"

"That was different, Bella. We knew the coven was no longer in PA so I thought there was no danger and look what happened anyway. A vampire picked up on your scent. There is no way you are going to go anywhere near a vampire nest. I forbid it."

I really dislike when he gets in his authoritative, bossy mode. There is just no reasoning with him when he's like this. I take a deep breath, square up my shoulders, and stare defiantly into Edward's eyes, preparing myself to do battle. Edward stares back at me, determination set on his face.

"You forbid it? What makes you think..." I start to say.

We hear a knock at the door. I sigh and relax my body and walk over and open the door. Charlie is standing on the other side.

"Hi, Bella. I was in the area and thought I would stop in for a quick visit."

* * *

"Hi, dad! It's so good to see you." I step aside, allowing Charlie to enter and then hug him. Together we walk over to the kitchen. "You remember Edward." I don't realize I'm still giving Edward a dirty look until I see him raise his eyebrows at me.

"Hello, sir," Edward says as he shakes Charlies hand.

"Hello, Edward. Nice to see you again."

"This is Edward's partner, Alice," I say as I gesture toward Alice. She steps up and shakes Charlie's hand.

"Hello, Mr. Swan. It's so nice to meet you," Alice says.

"Please. Call me Charlie," Charlie says and then notices the map on the island.

"Is someone trying to find somewhere?" Charlie asks as he leans over the map, looking at the area of Athens where Edward placed red marks. Charlie can never see a map and leave it alone. He thinks he's the world's authority on giving directions. Unfortunately, Charlie has never given me a direction somewhere that has not ended in my getting lost. I joke with Patty and tell her if Charlie ever gives her directions, she can get where she needs to go by going in the opposite direction as Charlie says.

"We're mapping the area of an investigation we're working on. Trying to find a biker gang in Athens in a bar near the river," Edward tells him.

"Oh Yeah? A biker gang you say? I've got some friends on the Athens PD. I can give them a call and see if they can steer you in the correct direction," Charlie tells Edward and Alice.

"That would be great if you could get any information for us, Charlie," Edward says.

"Bella, Could you draw your father a picture of that symbol we were looking at?" Alice says. I go into the living room and pull a notebook and pen out of my backpack. I rip off a piece of paper and draw the half circle and a line underneath it and take the paper into the kitchen and hand it to Charlie.

"At least one of the gang has that symbol tattooed on their finger," I tell Charlie. He looks at it for a moment and then folds it up and sticks it in the front pocket of his flannel shirt.

"I'll fax it over to my buddies and see if they know of anyone with that tattoo and ask about biker gangs in the area," Charlie says to Edward and Alice.

"That would be a great help. Thank you, Charlie," Alice says.

Charlie then turns to look at me. "I had no idea you were interested in police business, Bella. I have so many stories to tell you," Charlie says. I open my mouth while thinking of an excuse to tell him for why I don't want to hear his cop stories when I see a tormentive smile cross Charlie's face. I smirk back at him.

"I'm going to head home and will call my buddies then and will get back to you sometime tonight," Charlie says to Edward and Alice. He gives me a hug and shakes Edward's hand and shakes Alice's hand. "Let me know when you can come over for a Sunday dinner, Bella. It's been awhile."

"I will dad. Soon, I promise." Dad's Sunday dinners are always spaghetti because that's all he can make. It's been so long since I've had a Sunday dinner with Charlie I actually miss his spaghetti and microwaved frozen meatballs.

Charlie lets himself out as Edward's phone rings.

'Hello. Where at? Okay, Alice is with me now. We will get right on it." Edward ends his call and turns to Alice and myself. "We have another body. This one was found in a cemetery. They think it was there from last night. I told captain we would get right on it," Edward says to Alice.

"Right. We best get going then. See you later, Bella."

"Bye, Alice," I say.

Edward turns to me. "We may be awhile. Captain is getting frustrated and wants answers. We have to try to track the killer again. I may not see you tonight. Will you do me a favor and text me when you get home from the bar so I know you made it home alright?" Edward asks as he places his hands on my hips, looking into my eyes.

"Sure. I will text you as soon as I get in and don't worry, I'm not going to drink too much."

"I hope not. I know you like to party once in a while but you really need to keep your senses about you in this city, especially when I'm not around."

"I know, Edward. You don't have to worry about me."

Edward leans in and brushes his full, warm lips against mine as his hands slowly slide around my waist. "But then what would I do with all my time," he teases in that soft, sexy voice of his.

"I'm going to wait in the car. You guys take your time saying goodbye. The body isn't going anywhere fast," Alice says as she disappears out the front door.

"She is always so considerate," Edward says as he pulls his lips away from mine momentarily.

"Yes, she is," I reply.

Edward kisses me again. I wrap my arms around his neck as he leans his body in against mine, pushing me up against the kitchen island.

"Bella, I better get going," he says softly. Regrettably.

"Will you call me tomorrow?"

"I will if I don't talk to you tonight. Make sure to text me when you get home. If I'm available, I'll call you then. Bye, Bella. Be good tonight!"

"I will. Be careful." Edward slowly pulls himself away from me and walks out the door.


	12. Chapter 12 While the Cats Away

**Fated**

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

Otooles is in its usual weekend state with lots of college people getting drunk, football players playing pool and drinking games, and dancing in the back room. Patty, Jacob and I are at a middle table in the front bar area. We only arrived an hour ago and Patty already has shots lined up at our table. I'm trying to explain to her that I'm at my two drink limit and don't want any more alcohol, but she has a way of wording things that makes you want to keep drinking, plus she has so much fun when she's drunk it makes you want to join her.

I'm trying my best to keep my promise to Edward, but those shots are looking better as the night goes on. I'm also still annoyed at him for not allowing me to go with them to Athens. I could have helped them with finding this coven. The more I think about him not allowing me to go and his authoritative, bossy tendency, the more I feel like drinking. Maybe it's my passive way of fighting against not allowing anyone to control me. I've always had a bit of a problem with authority. It figures my first boyfriend and true love would be a cop.

Jacob is pounding the drinks back like I've never seen him do before. I wait until Patty goes up to the bar to get another drink before asking him what's up with that.

"How are you able to handle so many drinks and you don't even seem drunk yet," I ask Jacob.

"I think being a vampire has sped up my metabolism so much that I can't get drunk," he says.

"You're not drunk, at all? Not even a little bit?" I ask.

Jacob shakes his head. "Nope. Not one bit. Now I can keep doing shots with Patty and not have to argue with her about my not drinking so I can drive everyone home. Looks like I'm the permanent designated driver."

"What do you do if you get hungry?" I ask, not really wanting to know.

Jacob smiles. "I fed before I came here so I'm good for the night."

Patty makes her way back to our table with three more drinks from the bar. She sets another Singapore Sling down in front of me, a White Russian for herself, and a Snakebite for Jacob. I frown at her. " I said I don't want any more drinks."

"Oh, one more won't hurt you. You've even eaten a full meal."

"That's true. Last time I think I got so drunk because I didn't eat enough. Tonight I've eaten a lot." I'm reasoning with myself trying to convince myself it's okay to keep drinking. Besides, Edward isn't around tonight. If I have a few more drinks it won't hurt anything. He saw me on my worse drunken night, that's why he worries. I won't get near that bad.

"Ready?" Jacob asks Patty and me as he holds his shot in the air. Patty picks hers up and they both look at me.

"Fine." I hold my shot up in the air. We all tap our shots together and chug them. I use my Singapore Sling as a chaser.

* * *

As the night wears on, we migrate to the back room with the dance floor because a college girl has talked Jacob into dancing with her. I've already lost track of how many shots I've had. Patty and I are sitting at a table in the room, watching Jacob dance and socialize with several girls.

"What's happening to Jacob? It looks like he's turning into a social butterfly," Patty says as we watch him chatting with a group of girls. All the girls are surrounding him, listening intently to what he's saying, batting their eyelashes at him.

"It looks like he's becoming more outgoing. Good for him!" I say.

"He certainly is. He isn't sitting by your side hitting on you all night as usual. It's really odd how fast he has changed." Patty says.

"I think now that I have a boyfriend, Jacob has realized it's no use hitting on me and is finally giving attention to the many girls who have always tried to turn his head. I think it's great."

"Here's to Jacob," Patty says as she hands me another shot and holds her shot up in the air. I tap my shot against hers and chug it down.

"I don't know, Bella. Jacob seems different and looks a bit different also. His eyes are so much more intense and sexy. Watching him get so much attention from all these girls is making me look at him in a new light. Maybe it's time I tried out old Jacob boy and give him a night he won't soon forget."

I choke on my drink, coughing into a napkin. "Oh, Patty. I think that's a horrible idea! Nothing can ruin a friendship faster. I would hate to see something like that come between us three."

Patty is still watching Jacob. "I guess you're right. I would hate to mess up what we have. Besides, there are lots of guys here to choose from. Let's dance, Bella. I can check out the guys while we are dancing. You can be my wingman."

"I'm too shy to be a wingman, but I'll dance with you," I say as I stand up.

"Once you get drunk, Bella, you're not shy anymore. You just don't remember."

"I'm not drunk," I say and then serve a bit trying to follow Patty to the dance floor. Maybe I am drunk.

Once we start dancing, the lights flashing against the dance-floor and the loud music is overwhelming me making me feel drunker than I actually am. For a few seconds, I think I see Craig leaning against the back wall staring at me. I do a spin and when I turn back around and look again, he's walking closer toward me. Patty gets up and starts dancing on a nearby table. Some guy has jumped in Patty's place and is dancing with me. I'm trying to figure out how to politely get away from him when I see his eyes widen as he takes a couple steps back. Suddenly a hand is grabbing my arm and swinging me around. When I stop, I am looking at a police uniform. I look up into Edward's face, his jaw tense and his eyes ablaze with anger.

"I cannot believe you got drunk again! You have placed yourself in danger, again! After you promised!" His voice is deep and dangerous. I'm in shock to see him here and feel guilty about not keeping my promise.

"I'm not drunk, Edward."

"Don't lie to me, Bella. I can tell by your breathing. You've had at least 4 shots and 3 drinks while I've been watching you. I'm taking you home!" He barks at me and grabs my hand and turns to lead me off the dance- floor.

"Wait! We have to tell Patty or Jacob I'm leaving."

Edward turns around to face me. "Wait here." He looks around the room and spots Patty on the table dancing and rolls his eyes. He walks up to Patty and she bends down to talk with him. I look back to where I last saw Craig and he's gone.

Edward walks back to me and grabs my hand and leads me toward the door. He's walking too fast and, in my drunken state, I wobble and almost fall trying to keep up. Edward turns around, picks me up, and throws me over his shoulder and carries me out of the bar. My face reddens as I imagine how many people must be staring at the spectacle we are making and I wonder what people are thinking seeing a cop carry a woman out of a bar over his shoulder.

We are in the parking lot. Edward is still carrying me over his shoulder as he walks toward his car. He is walking so fast it is jostling me around.

"Edward put me down! I can walk myself!"

"You're drunk. You could barely walk in there. You'll fall if you try to walk. I can't believe you got drunk again after I've shown you how dangerous this city is." Edward smacks my butt with the flat of his palm, hard. The sting lasts several seconds afterward.

"Ouch."

A few more steps and he sets me down on my feet next to the passenger's door of his car. He opens the door and I get in. He closes the door behind me and gets in the driver's side. I'm too embarrassed about him slapping my butt to talk or even look him in the eye. We spend the ride home in silence. I know he's upset with me.

* * *

When we get home I know I am too drunk to try to walk up all the steps to my house so I let Edward carry me again. When we reach the front door he sets me down.

"Hand me your keys," he says when we reach the front door. I fumble around inside my purse and pull out my keys and hand them to him.

"I can walk. Really I'm fine," I say.

"Okay if you say so." Edward puts me down and unlocks the door.

Edward steps aside and allows me to enter first. We walk over to my couch and sit down.

"I just don't understand why you would get drunk after you promised me you wouldn't."

"I know Edward, and I'm sorry. I wasn't planning on drinking more than two drinks, but somehow being in that bar and with Patty and Jacob chugging drinks, I got carried away."

"I'm glad my investigation ended early and I was there to protect you. I sensed a vampire in the bar tonight. You could have been in danger."

"But you said vampires are all over this city. I can't not go out because of it."

"Yes they are all over, but this one may have been an original. I was having trouble sensing them. If they are strong enough, vampires and originals can cloak themselves so others cannot detect them. I sensed something but I'm not sure what it was. Most likely it meant no harm. Most of the local vampires cause no problems because they know we have special units to handle problematic vampires in this town. Can you promise me you will go to bed tonight and not go out again?"

"Yes, Edward. I'm not going anywhere else. I promise."

"Good, because I don't want to have to get tough with you to make you listen to me. If I have to, I will have you banned from every bar in the area, Miss 19-year-old Wild Ass." Edward gives me a stern look.

For how much I hate when he's in his bossy, cop persona, I have to admit to myself, he also is at his sexiest when he's like this. I do feel bad that I didn't keep my promise. I move closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder and begin to caress his leg with my hand. His eyes are still stern, his brow furrowed as he quietly stares at me. I need to take his mind off tonight and get him out of his mood.

I pivot myself in my seat so I am facing him, my legs crossed. My hand slowly moves up his thigh, still caressing, as I begin to kiss his shoulder and run my lips down his arm, kissing through his uniform. I feel him take a deep breath and begin to relax.

"You're just trying to get out of trouble, Miss Wild Ass," Edward teases.

"Uh huh," I whisper as I pull him toward me. He pivots so he is facing me, wrapping his arms around my waist, kissing me. I place my legs on either side of him and pull him closer to me as I lie back against the couch. As we kiss he keeps himself held up by his arms so as not to lean his entire weight against me. I turn on my side and pull him with me to do the same, lying facing each other. As I continue to kiss him, my hands wander down his shirt to his waist. I tug at his shirt and pull it out of his pants allowing it to hang free. My right-hand slips under his shirt, caressing his strong, muscular stomach. His abs feel like smooth rock. I slowly side my hand upward feeling his strong chest, the warmth between us growing.

His moist tongue is probing inside my mouth, his lips silky soft on mine. I begin to wrap my leg around his when his strong hand grabs my knee and stops my leg from moving.

"Bella, you are going too fast," Edward says softly but firmly. I widen my eyes and look at him, shocked. Perplexed.

"We have all the time we want. We don't need to rush this," Edward says.

"But why?"

"I don't want to rush you. I've exposed you to enough. I'm not going to rush you into sex too."

"But I want to. You're not rushing me. I think I'm rushing you," I say and Edward smiles. It looks like a patronizing smile but I don't know why.

"Then it's me. I'm not ready to...to deflower you so soon."

"Edward. I've had sex before plenty of times." I'm lying. I don't like lying to Edward but I'm worried if he knows I'm a virgin he won't want to have sex with me. Edward raises an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Bella, I know you're lying."

I lower my head and sigh. "How?"

"There are things about being a dragon that you can tell."

I raise my head and look Edward in the eyes. "Oh my God, are you saying...you can tell I'm a virgin?"

Edward nods.

"How?"

"I can smell it. It's a natural smelling ability of dragons. I can tell a lot about a person from how they smell. When dragons mate, it's strong and intense. Our mate has to be ready to handle that."

"Edward I'm sorry I lied to you about my virginity. I was afraid if you knew I was a virgin you wouldn't want to have sex. I've been trying to pretend like I know what I'm doing and you mean all this time you knew I was a virgin anyway?"

Edward snickers and nods his head. "Yes."

"Well, I'm ready. I couldn't be more ready, Edward!"

"Bella, I"m not. I'm sorry but I don't feel good about taking this from you. Not now. We need to wait."

Edward pulls away from me and sits back up on the couch. "I'm sorry. I have to go now to get ready for our investigation tomorrow. I hope you're not too angry or disappointed with me."

I sit up next to Edward. "I'm not angry but I'm disappointed that you are so stubborn."

"Try to get some sleep. We can talk more about this at a later time. I won't be seeing you for a few days but I will call you every day and if you need anything call me, and please stay out of the bars! Goodnight, Bella." Edward stands up and kisses my forehead and walks out the door, locking it behind him.

* * *

 **A/N: It's tax time for me and I have several to do so I won't be able to post another chapter for about 2 weeks. Hopefully I will get it up sooner but I'm guessing 2 weeks. I hope everyone is enjoying my story. We will find out in the next chapter how much trouble Bella gets into when Edward's gone!**

 **Thanks to everyone reading my story and leaving me reviews and encouraging me. This has been an amazing experience! Love Chelsea**


	13. Chapter 13 Girls Time Alone

**Fated**

 **Chapter 13**

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long break everyone. I wish you a delayed Happy Easter!**

 **I'm back now and am looking forward to continuing my story. I am working on Chapter 14 now and hope to have it up in a couple days.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"It feels like it's been forever since we've spent time alone chatting at home. Why don't we do this more often?" Patty says.

"Because we are both busy studying and with our free time you always want to go out drinking and picking up guys," I reply. Patty looks lost in thought for a moment.

"You're right. I do!" Patty says. We both laugh.

I turn myself in my seat on the couch to face Patty, my legs crossed, hands resting on my knees. Patty is in the same position facing me. We have been sitting on the couch chatting for over an hour.

"Tell me more about your feelings for Edward, Bella. You really care about him, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"But how do you know he's the one for you, when you haven't had any experience with other guys?"

"I just know. I feel like I've been waiting for him my entire life. I know this sounds weird, but I think I was meant to be a virgin and to save myself just for him. It's like we're fated to be together forever."

"That's so romantic, like a fairy tale. I'm happy that you've found someone who is your soulmate. Do you think he feels the same way about you?"

I nod my head sheepishly. "I know he does."

"He certainly is sexy. I don't know how you keep your hands off of him, Bella. You two have not had sex yet?"

I frown and shake my head gloomily. "No. It's not from my lack of trying. He won't."

"Are you kidding? Why?" Patty leaves her mouth drop open as she turns her palms up towards the sky. "I have never heard of such a thing. A guy not wanting sex. What's wrong with him?" She snickers.

"I think he's being chivalrous. He said he's not ready to deflower me. I think it's bothering him that I'm a virgin."

"Deflower you? Who uses that type of language in today's times?" Patty laughs as she shakes her head. "It sounds like he's old fashioned."

"Yes. I think he is." I roll my eyes and shake my head along with Patty.

"You should have never told him you were a virgin, Bella. Now you're stuck dealing with him feeling guilty about wanting to have sex with you."

"You're right," I say. I can't tell Patty that I tried her tactic and lied to him about being a virgin but he was able to tell I was a virgin anyway.

"Well, there is only one course of action for you now," Patty says with determination in her voice.

I'm half afraid to ask. "What's that?" I ask as I push my eyebrows together and crinkle up my nose, waiting for Patty's answer.

"You're going to have to be a dick tease and get him so horny that he can't resist you. He can deal with the guilt afterward," Patty says with an evil grin on her face.

"Oh, Patty. You're the worst!" We both laugh loudly.

"So what else is new with you, Bella?"

"Well, let's see...There is something kind of odd that happened to me. I'm not even sure I completely understand it but it's something I think I've always known, or at least always had..."

"Bella! Stop teasing me and tell me what already!"

"Okay. I found out that...I don't know how to say this. I think I may be psychic." I cringe waiting to hear Patty laugh at me. I'm expecting to become humiliated, but sometimes I underestimate how good of a person Patty is. She never laughs at or makes fun of anyone. For how reckless she gets and drunken and even obnoxious, deep down inside she is a good person.

"Really, Bella? That's amazing! What exactly do you mean by psychic? How do you know? Tell me everything!"

"I went with Edward and Alice on an investigation..."

"They let you go on an investigation with them? That's so cool!"

"Well, we were on our way home from Alice's house and Edward got a call to meet Alice at a nearby site where there was a murder so he let me go along with. He knew I would be safe with him. We found a dead body and Alice retrieved this matchstick from it. She handed it to me and when I touched it, I saw visions. It was really amazing but at the same time, it felt completely normal to me. I wasn't really shocked by it."

"That doesn't surprise me. You have dreams that come true sometimes, right?"

I think about it for a moment. "Yes I do but I never thought much about that. Doesn't everyone have that happen?"

Patty raises an eyebrow and shakes her head. "No, Bella. Most people do not have that happen. I always knew you had psychic dreams, but getting visions is amazing. I think you get it from your dad. He always seems to call when something unusual is happening with you and he asks you if something is wrong. I've noticed that for a while now."

"Really? I don't know why I never thought much about it before, but after this happened to me I realized Charlie may be psychic also."

"So, what visions did you get?"

"They were images of one of the people responsible for this man's murder. It was someone in a biker gang. I think I was able to give Edward and Alice some good clues as to where to look for the killer."

"Bella! Do you realize what you could do? You could consult for the police department and help them find murderers!"

"I do have to admit, it felt great being able to give Edward help on his case. He even asked me to do it a second time. I was able to pick up on the bar where I believe this gang hangs out. It was in Athens but there are lots of bars in that area and I don't know which one it is. That's where Edward and Alice went to follow up on my lead."

"Wow! They are actually following a psychic tip from you! Why didn't you go with them today?"

I lower my head and voice. "Because Edward wouldn't let me. He said it was too dangerous and refused to let me go. I really wanted to go too. If I got in the nearby area, I just may be able to lead them to the correct bar."

"I've got a great idea, Bella. Why don't we go? I'll drive while you concentrate and tell me where to turn. Wouldn't that be fun?"

I look at Patty and think for a second, considering it. I shake my head. What am I doing? I can't drag Patty into this. This could be dangerous. It's bad enough I keep endangering myself, I can't endanger Patty too. "I don't know, Patty. It could be really dangerous. These are killers. I don't think we should."

Patty looks disappointed. "Okay, Bella. You're right. It does sound dangerous. It's a shame Edward didn't let you go with them though. He could keep you safe and use your help."

"I know," I say sullenly.

"So, did you do something particular to bring on your visions?"

"I just touched the matchstick. It was an odd wooden matchstick with a green head. When I touched it, I automatically received visions."

"A wooden matchstick with a green head," Patty repeats. She gets up and walks into the kitchen and picks something up off of the island and holds it in the air. "Do you mean this matchstick?"

I get up and walk over to the island and look at it. It's the wooden matchstick with a green head. "Yes. That's it! Alice must have left it here."

"So, do you want to try to get more visions? If you get anything useful you could call Edward and tell him."

"Good idea, Patty. I'll give it a try."

I close my eyes and take several slow, deep breaths trying to clear my mind. I open my eyes and nod to Patty. She hands me the matchstick and I close my eyes. My vision goes blurry as a sharp pain builds over my eyes. Slowly a vision forms and details emerge. I see the same biker with the odd symbol tattooed on his finger, sitting in a bar. I cannot tell what he looks like because the details of his face are lost, but I can tell it's the same man as before by the shape of his body. I can tell the bar is along the river but there is nothing discerning it from the other bars.

"It's the same thing that I got before. I can see a biker with a tattoo and he is sitting in a bar that sits along the Hudson River, but there are lots of bars in that area along the river. I need to see something new to tell me which bar it is."

Patty and I are quiet for a few moments, thinking.

"Edward had me look at a map to see if I could pinpoint the exact bar. I couldn't do it but maybe if I held the matchstick while looking at the map. Do we have a printed map anywhere of New York?"

Patty's eyes light up with excitement. "Yes! I have a street and road map in my car. My GPS screws up all the time so I have my map as a backup. I'll be right back," Patty says as she scrambles out the front door. She comes back in with a map in her hand and unfolds the map on the kitchen island. She points to Athens. I bend over the map staring at Athens while holding the matchstick in my hand. All I receive is the same vision as before.

"Nothing new."

"At least you tried. I'm going to jump in the shower, but if you get any visions let me know. I don't want to miss anything cool!"

"I'm done trying. I get a headache if I try too long," I tell Patty as she is trotting up the stairs.

While I'm standing quietly in the kitchen, an odd idea pops into my head. I grab a piece of paper, rip a corner off of it, grab a pen, and onto the piece of paper I draw the sign I saw tattooed on the finger of the biker in my vision. I place the piece of paper onto the map near Athens and drop the matchstick on top of the paper. As I stare at the matchstick, it slowly begins to spin. The matchstick turns clockwise very slowly, spinning in circles. After two full turns, it stops with the green head facing 2 bars that lie along the river. I raise my arms above my head and wave my hands around in quiet celebration. I grab the matchstick and place it in my jeans pocket and throw the paper in the trash.

I grab my phone, walk into the living room, sit down on the couch, and stare at Edward's number on fast dial. I begin to think about how boring and lonely my life was before Edward came into it and before all this excitement started happening. I don't know how I ever got by without it. I didn't really. I was bored and sad all the time. I realize now I need excitement in my life. I was meant for something more, and this ability to see visions was given to me for a reason. I believe I was meant to help Edward with his cases. But there's more I can do besides sit home and get visions. There's more I can do, but should I...

I jump up and race upstairs, stopping at the closed bathroom door. "Patty, I'm going to go over and visit with Charlie for a little while today. He called and sounds lonely. Do you have something to do if I leave for a while?"

"Sure, Bella. I can call Jacob and see if he wants to do something with me. Are you going to be gone all day?"

"No. I should be back in a few hours, by dinner time for sure."

"Okay, Bella. See you then."

"Bye."

I run down the stairs, grab my keys off of the kitchen island, grab a jacket from the closet, and race out the front door, slamming it shut behind me. As I race down the steps towards my car I say to myself. "I must be out of my mind."

* * *

The drive to Athens is a nice, peaceful drive. I keep myself entertained by thinking about my visions and how my abilities improve when Edward is touching me. So many new, marvelous things have happened in my life recently. I am excited to see what is coming up next.

I'm keeping track of my mileage as I drive. I am coming up on 38 miles, the distance the map said from my home to the bars. I make a left and drive down a long, dirt road in a heavily wooded area. My tires crunching the gravel underneath them spoils my plan of arriving unnoticed. The road dead ends into the parking lot of the first bar, The Pine Nut. There is only one other car and two motorcycles in the parking lot.

I get out and look around at my surroundings. This place is so isolated, no one would ever find me here. As I walk towards the bar, goosebumps begin to rise on my arms. I've come too far to chicken out now. Besides, I'm not going to confront anyone. I just want to have a look around and see if I can determine which bar the biker gang is at. As soon as I do that, I will leave and call Edward and tell him which bar to focus on. They are not vampires who go crazy over the smell of my blood, they are just bikers, so I have nothing to worry about. I take a deep breath and pull open the heavy, wooden front doors of the bar.

I can only see shapes as my eyes need to adjust to the dimly lit bar. I blink several times. As my vision adjusts I walk towards the bar, taking a look around. There are only two middle-aged men in the bar and one younger bartender. One man is sitting slumped over at a corner table, leaning his head on his crossed arms, looking half asleep. Another man is sitting at the bar. I take a seat two chairs down from him. Both men are wearing similar worn-down leather jackets and jeans. They are dressed similar to the man in my vision.

"You looking for directions? The bartender asks as he walks over towards me." Obviously, they don't get too many strangers in this bar. I've learned as long as you portray confidence, most bartenders will not card you.

"Just passing through and thought this place looked like a nice place to stop for a drink. I'll take a Heineken." I sit up straight and look the bartender directly in the eyes while ordering. Another trick of portraying confidence. He pauses for a moment as if he is about to say something and then grabs a Heineken out of the refrigerator, pops it open and sets it in front of me.

"Thank you."

"We don't get many non-regulars here. Where you say you're heading?" I look to my right and see the man sitting two seats down waiting for me to answer him.

"I'm traveling to visit relatives. I smile friendly at him. The man gets up and disappears down a hall to the right, towards the restrooms I assume.

The bartender is standing in front of me, across the bar cleaning glasses. He watches the man disappear down the hall, then glances at the man who looks half asleep sitting at the table and then speaks in a low voice.

"This isn't the friendliest of places to be visiting by yourself." He warns.

"Do you mean not friendly, or not safe?"

"The people are not the best at being hospitable, especially to strangers. I'm sure you can find a much friendlier bar to visit." Goosebumps ripple up my spine as he speaks. Maybe coming here alone isn't the best idea.

"I'm just finishing this beer and then will be on my way." The bartender nods his approval.

I pull out a $5 bill from my wallet and leave it on the bar, then spin myself around in my seat to face the front door. The man that was sleeping on the table is now standing up, leaning against the front door with his arms folded across his chest, blocking my exit. He looks like he is being casual, but I have a feeling he is not there innocently. I notice an odd blue light coming from his right hand, which is holding onto his left arm.

I stand up and begin to walk toward the door, hoping he plans on moving out of my way when I get there. As I get closer to the man, I see the glowing blue light is coming from a tattoo on his finger. It's the tattoo I saw in my vision. This is not the same man in my vision but he has the same tattoo and it is now glowing deep blue. He must be from the same biker gang. Looks like I've found the bar. Now it's time to get out of here before anything bad happens. My goosebumps are only getting worse. I don't think he is going to let me leave and I certainly can't fight him so I have to come up with another plan quick.

"Could you tell me where the restrooms are?" I ask him. He points toward the hall that the other man disappeared down. I walk down the hall, hoping to find another exit. There is one door ahead of me and two on the right. The noises coming out of the door ahead of me tell me it must be the kitchen. The doors to my right must be the restrooms. One is marked Men and one is marked Women. I open the women's restroom door and go inside.

The restroom is dirty and the paint on the walls and stalls are old and fading. One of the toilets is leaking water onto the floor and it is making it's way out of the stall. I quickly check under the two stalls to make sure I'm alone and then stand silently for a moment thinking while I look around. There's a small window just above the sink. I place my purse around my right shoulder and climb up on the sink, unlock the window and push it open slowly, trying to lessen the creaking sounds of the rusty hinges.

I throw my purse out of the window and then pull my body through the window's narrow opening. My shirt catches on a rusty nail on the bottom of the windowsill and tears as I slide through. I land on the grass on my hands and knees. With no time to look around, I grab my purse and stand up straight into the face of another biker. He is rubbing his chin between his forefinger and thumb. He has the tattoo symbol of the biker gang on his finger, glowing a deep blue color.

He smiles wickedly at me. "Goodnight."

"Huh?" I say just before I feel a cloth being pressed against my mouth from someone standing behind me. One hand is holding a cloth against my mouth and nose, the other is holding my head in a strong headlock. I struggle uselessly to free myself. My hands are grasping at the hand pressing the cloth against my nose and mouth. My fingernails biting into his flesh. He keeps a firm hold. My legs are kicking wildly backward hitting him in the shins. The sweet smell of the Chloroform is overpowering me as I feel myself drifting asleep.


	14. Chapter 14 Biker's Hostage

**Fated**

 **Chapter 14**

* * *

As I come to, I hear two men arguing. One man, with a rough, deep voice is accusing the other of cheating at a card game. My head aching and my sight blurry, I squint my eyes trying to focus in the dim light. The smell of mildew fills my nostrils. As my vision begins to sharpen I see two men sitting at a table playing cards. The tall man jumps up from his seat.

"Don't tell me you didn't cheat, you dirty, lying, scumbag." The tall man grabs hold of the other, holding him with both hands wrapped tightly around his neck.

"I won fair," the shorter man croaks out against a restricted windpipe.

I'm standing with my back pressed up against a pole. Rope wrapping me tightly to the pole, my arms bound at my sides. I wiggle trying to break free but it's of no use. I'm tied tight. "Where am I?" I scream at the arguing men. They both turn their heads to look at me. The taller man releases the other man's neck.

"Well, it looks like the little bird has finally woke up," the shorter man says as he stands and walks toward me. The other man begins clearing all the money off of the poker table and stuffing it in his jean's pockets. I stare the shorter man down as he nears me. He runs a dirty palm down the side of my face.

"What do you want with me?" I ask, my voice shaky and low.

"Me, deary? I don't want nothing with you, but my boss. He's going to be really happy to see you. You are a treasure. You made my sigil shine bright when they first brought you in," he holds up his finger with the tattoo. "And to think you just walked right in here to us. We didn't even have to search for you. You've been the easiest one we've caught yet.

How am I going to get out of this? I've really done it this time. I'm in trouble and I told no one where I was going. What was I thinking?

"What does your boss want with me?"

He grabs my face in his strong hand, pressing my cheeks together in a rough, tight grip. he leans in close to my face. His hot breath washes over me smells of smoke and tuna.

"That's enough of your questions. You'll be quiet now if you know what's good for you," he warns and then releases my face. His eyes wander from my eyes down along my neck to my breasts. I look down and see my shirt is torn almost completely off, from the window hinge. Only the first few inches at the collar are still together. The rest of my shirt is hanging free exposing my bra and stomach. Fear, causing my rapid breathing, is forcing my breasts to heave up and down dramatically. The biker seems transfixed upon them.

He looks into my eyes once again, evil written on his face. He grabs the two halves of my shirt and yanks hard in opposite directions. The remaining fibers give way leaving my shirt in ripped into two halves. He pulls the torn shirt down my arms to my elbows and leaves it hang across my back, his eyes never leaving my breasts. I try again to fight my binding, my arms pulling hard against my ropes. He watches my breasts bounce as I struggle. When I finally give up fighting, he reaches towards me.

"Don't touch me!" I scream.

"Hey! Don't mess with her, Charlie. The boss will have your head," the tall man orders as he walks toward us. He grabs Charlie by the arm and pulls him away from me. "I don't want to see you touch her again. You got it?" He pokes Charlie in the chest with a thick finger.

Charlie mumbles something and stomps up the stairs and out the door at the top. The taller man follows. I look around at my surroundings. It's a small room with cement brick walls and a dirty cement floor. The walls are stained with water marks and mildew. The table the men were playing cards at is a small card table with two metal chairs. Cases of beer are stacked in one corner, kegs in another. This must be the basement to the bar.

* * *

I hear the door open again and footsteps coming down the stairs. A new man wearing a leather jacket and jeans, similar to the other two men, walks toward me. He stops walking, takes a cigar out of his jacket pocket and places it in his mouth. He removes a small wooden box from his other jacket pocket and pulls out a wooden match with a green head and strikes it against the box's strip. It reminds me, I still have a matchstick in my pocket. Maybe that can help get me out of this mess. His matchstick catches fire and he lights his cigar, inhaling as he continues to walk up to me. I think this is the man I saw in my vision.

He takes his cigar out of his mouth and holds it in his hand. His other hand he holds out in front of him. His tattoo is glowing deep blue. He stares at it for a few seconds until the glow fades and then puts his hand back down again.

"You must have some power. I've never seen it glow this deep before," he says.

"What am I doing here? What do you want with me and what does your glowing tattoo have to do with me?"

He takes his time taking another drag on his cigar, then blows the smoke in my face. "We all have magicked tattoos that tell us when certain humans are near us. The type we are looking for. I already know you have powers because of my tat. Tell me, what powers do you have?"

I shake my head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His eyes narrow as he leans in close to me. "Don't lie to me. You're at the least psychic, and by the way my tat glowed, I say you have much more power than just being psychic. Now tell me or I will make you tell me." He holds his lit cigar up close to my face. The heat threatening to burn into my cheek.

"I'm psychic. I have visions. That's all," I say.

"When did the visions start."

"Just recently."

He moves the cigar away from my face. "So your powers are just kicking in. That's why you only noticed visions so far."

"Can you please tell me what you are going to do with me?" I beg.

He looks at me for a second. "That's not up to me, sweetheart. My gang works for... others. We find people like you for them."

"You mean vampires," I say. He eyes widen in surprise.

"Yes. My gang and I collect special humans for vampires. Unfortunately for you, you happen to be one of those humans."

The door at the top of the stairs opens and a voice booms down. "Boss. We've got a situation here."

The man walks away, up the stairs and closes the door behind him. I begin to struggle fiercely. I press my arms against the rope trying to break free, the rope digging into my flesh. It is too strong. I press my right arm and hand into my body as much as I can to loosen the rope just enough to slide my hand up a few inches and slide my fingers inside my jean's pocket. I pull out the wooden matchstick and press my fingertip against the match head and run it down the rough pole. Nothing happens. I try it again, pressing it more securely against the pole this time and it lights.

I bring the lit matchstick around to the front of my ropes and hold it up against the lowest rope. It catches fire easily. It's not burning me yet because I'm lighting the rope that's between my body and arm and not resting on any part of my body. I light the second rope with the matchstick just before it dies out and I drop the burnt matchstick to the floor. The fire burning on the second rope catches the third piece of rope on fire just as the bottom rope burns away. Once the second and third pieces burn away I'm able to move enough to pull on the other ropes and slowly loosen them. I drop the ropes to the floor. My shirt also falls to the floor but I leave it because it's useless to me now.

I search the basement for windows or other doors. There is nothing there. There is no way out but up the stairs. I slowly and quietly walk up the stairs, taking one at a time to avoid creaks. I press my ear against the door and can hear the men talking. I can't get out this way. I quietly walk back down the stairs and look around.

I'm beginning to panic. I can't believe I put myself in this situation, but I had no way of knowing the bikers would want to catch me. How would I know they had magick tattoos that helped them find their victims. For the first time in my life, I'm really scared and don't know what to do. I kneel down on the floor and hold my hands to my face. I'm going to die here. Why didn't I tell someone where I was going? Why do I not want to listen to people when they are giving me advice. I always have to think I know best. Why did I not listen to Edward? I begin to sob.

Oh, Edward. What have I done? You're going to be so mad at me for dying. I wish I could just tell him that I love him before I die. I take my hands away from my face. A cloud has appeared, similar to the one that appeared when Edward was touching me and while I was getting visions. I look into the cloud, watching shapes form thinking of Edward. Then, I see his face in the cloud. It looks like he is talking to someone. My beautiful, amazing Edward. I will never get to see your beautiful face again. I see him suddenly stop talking and look around.

"Bella?"

Is that my imagination or did I just hear Edward's voice inside my head calling my name? "Edward," I scream out inside my head.

"Bella. Where are you? What's wrong?" My cloud vision shows Edward looking around.

"Edward, you can hear me?"

"Yes, Bella. What's wrong?"

"I'm in trouble. I'm at The Pine Nut bar in Athens. I found the bikers but they have me in the basement." I see only a flash of fire in my vision before it fades. I stand back up and try to get control over myself. Crying and carrying on isn't going to get me out of this. I walk around the basement looking for anything I can use as a weapon and find an old pipe leaning against the crumbling, cement wall. I grab it and stand along the wall near the stairs, waiting quietly.

When I hear the door open, my hands tense against the bar, holding it tight. I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. When I hear shoes hit the cement floor I jump out swinging as hard as I can. I smash the biker directly in the face, knocking him to the floor and crushing his cigar against his face. I jump on top of him and beat him upon his head once more with the pipe. He's dazed and shaking his head. I stand over him, pipe in hand, daring him to try to get up. He passes out. I grab his legs and drag him to the wall under the stairs, hiding him from anyone coming down the stairs. I hear the door at the top of the stairs open.

"You okay down there, Rob?" I ready myself again to strike. There's a loud thumping sound coming from upstairs. I hear feet scuffling, running. It must be vampires. I'm never going to make it out of here now, but I'm determined to go down fighting. I hear quick creaks on the stairs and ready my weapon to strike.

I see a flash of someone coming toward me, fast. I swing my pipe back for full momentum and swing out at the creature as hard as I can and hit Edward directly in the face as he grabs me and sweeps me up into his arms. The pipe falls to the floor and he kisses me deeply as I wrap my arms around his neck. He sets me on my feet and holds me tight. One hand around my back, the other pressing my head against his chest. He's trembling.

"Bella, I was so scared. If anything happened to you..." he tells me in a soft, sincere voice.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I..."

"Shhh. Don't think about it now. I'm just so happy you're okay."

The man on the floor has come to and is mumbling as he attempts to stand up.

Edward releases my head and pulls back far enough to look at me. They didn't hurt you did they..."

Edward stops talking abruptly when he notices my missing shirt. His jaw tenses, his teeth gritting together. His body begins to burn with the ember fire deep within his skin. I let go of him as the heat gets too much to bear. He looks around the room and spots the biker, now standing. He doesn't say a word as he removes his shirt and holds it up over my head. I raise my arms and allow him to pull it on me, his eyes not moving from the man. The way he's acting scares me. Like a lion about to attack its prey. Smoke rises from his body as he walks toward the biker.

"Edward. My shirt was torn when I climbed through a window. He didn't touch me," I tell him.

He stops walking and turns to look back at me. His facial features relax and he sighs. He rushes back to me so fast I don't see him move. He has his arms wrapped around me.

"You're not hurt? He didn't touch you?" I shake my head no. He sighs with relief and gently places his hand on the back of my head and kisses my forehead lovingly.

"Can you walk? We need to take this guy with us to get some answers about this vampire coven."

"Yes. I can walk."

Edward picks up the biker and throws him over his shoulder. The biker is still too out of it to know what is going on and doesn't fight. Edward starts walking toward the stairs and stops to turn back and look at me.

"You did this to him, Bella?"

I feel my face redden slightly as I nod my head. "Yup."

Edward smiles and leads the way up the stairs. When we get upstairs to the pub, there are two other men lying dead on the floor and one Alice has just killed. She races over to us.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

"Yes, Alice. I'm fine. They didn't hurt me. Thank you for coming so quick." I look at Edward. "Thank both of you."

"I'm glad you are okay." Alice smiles warmly as she hugs me. Her smile can light up a room. Edward sets the biker down on his feet.

"I have a confession I have to make to both of you," Alice says glumly. We both look at her. "I left the matchstick on your kitchen counter on purpose, Bella. I thought maybe you would keep trying to get visions. The practice will help increase your abilities. I knew you were upset because you couldn't come with us so I thought that would make you happy. I never guessed you would come here alone. I should have tried to see visions to make sure nothing bad would happen to you. I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"No, Alice. It's not your fault at all. It's mine," I say.

"Bella is right, Alice. This is Bella's fault for not using common sense or listening to me." Edward's voice is flat and serious and cuts right through me. I lower my head, refusing to meet his eyes. "But we can discuss this later after we get out of here. Alice, can you take this biker back to your place so I can get Bella home? We need him to tell us where the vampire coven is. Once I drop Bella off at home I will come over," Edward says.

"No problem, Edward. I'll take him to my house and interrogate him," Alice says.

"You may want to find out about his tattoo also. It lit up when he was near me and he said it's magicked to let him know when he is in the presence of psychic humans."

"Really? I will make sure to find out about that also," Alice grabs the man and disappears out the door him.

Edward grabs me up in his arms and walks outside with me. He unfolds his fire-wings and we lift off into the air.

* * *

When we get to my place, Edward discreetly lands in my back yard and places me on my feet. He moves so fast no one can see us flying or landing.

"Edward, I have nothing I can say to excuse my behavior. I've been reckless and immature..."

"And untrustworthy," Edward says.

"Yes. And untrustworthy. Can you possibly forgive me?"

"I forgive you, Bella, but I don't think I can trust you. Not for a long time." I'm fighting back tears, but I know I deserve that.

"I wouldn't trust me either right now. I'm sorry I caused all this. If it helps, I have learned my lesson. I thought I was going to die today and the only thing I could think of is how I let you down. I'm going to earn back your trust one day and until then I will just have to keep showing you that you can trust me by making the right decisions from now on."

"That's good, Bella, but I don't think I can rely on your promises. It's just not good enough."

"So then what do you want to do?" Oh my God, I hope he isn't going to break up with me. Please don't let him break up with me.

"There is only one way I can trust you while I'm off hunting down cases..." My heart starts sinking as I await his answer.

"I guess I'm just going to have to bring you with me from now on."

"Oh, Edward!" I lean in closer and kiss him deeply. After a couple minutes Edward pulls his head back and grabs my chin with his forefinger and thumb. He tilts my head up to look into my eyes.

"This doesn't mean I'm not furious with you. I'm fighting the urge right now to take you inside and give you the fastest spanking anyone has ever had!" I see a flame flicker in his eyes for a split second, letting me know he's not bluffing, and I swallow hard. Then his eyes soften.

"Come on. Let's take you inside to change your shirt so you can give me mine back and then let's drive to Alice's. You may as well join me while I interrogate that biker. Maybe you can get some visions of where the vampires are."

* * *

 **A/N: Many thanks again to all of you for leaving me such wonderful reviews.**


	15. Chapter 15 The Hostee Is Now The Hostage

**Fated**

 **Chapter 15**

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this next chapter out. It is not a finished chapter so I hope no one gets frustrated that I stop in the middle of a fight scene. It was going on too long so I decided to put up what I have and keep working on it tomorrow to try to finish it.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

His lips part mine as his tongue slowly slips inside my mouth. I feel his warm caress drifting along my tongue, exploring. The heat between our two bodies grows with each passing second. I close my eyes and relish in his kiss.

His lips drift away from my mouth and slowly move over to nibble my ear, his hot breath warming my skin. Goosebumps ripple across my body as a warm, excitement drifts along my ear and down my neck. Pressing my hips up against his, I subconsciously moan as I pull his body in closer to mine. The warm intensity drifts from my neck down to my breasts, hardening my nipples. A chill shoots through them, causing me to arch my back and press my nipples against his chest.

His lips hit the base of my neck and he continues kissing, wandering over to my shoulder. My breath is coming in deep waves. I stand leaning against the kitchen counter feeling hypnotized by his kisses. Begging quietly in my head for more. He lets out a quiet moan and then gently pulls his lips away from mine, leaning backward to look into my eyes.

"No, you don't! Alice said we can take our time. A few more minutes won't hurt," I wrap my arms around his waist and pull his body closer to mine once again. As he opens his mouth to protest I lean in and kiss him. He kisses me back for several long minutes.

"Maybe won't hurt _you_ ," Edward says softly.

"Then don't stop," I say as I slip my hands up the back of his shirt and let them wander, caressing his back. The warmth of his skin sinks into my hands. I slowly slide my hands around his sides, running them up and down his flesh as he closes his eyes, looking lost in my touch. My hands wander around his front to his abs. I trace his solid, thick muscles with my fingers. His skin is hot and solid but also so smooth. I wonder what his skin tastes like. I let my hands slowly slide down toward his hips, my fingertips dipping slightly under the waste of his jeans. Edward grabs both my wrists in his hands.

"Bella, We have to stop," his voice is soft and shaky. He's out of breath.

"No, we don't," I say as I try to free my wrists from Edward's light but firm grasp. Edward releases my hands and grasps my chin between his forefinger and thumb and tilts my head upward.

"I'm not ready yet, Bella. Please understand that." I lean my head back and sigh loudly, giving a dramatic pout.

"Why aren't you ready, Edward? Are you not attracted to me?" Edward's eyes widen in shock.

"Are you serious, Bella? Can't you tell I'm crazy about you? Do you see how hot and red my skin gets?" I realize his red ember glow is back under his skin. I wonder how long it's been like that. "Trying to stop us from going too far is almost impossible for me. I have to force myself to keep control."

"Then what is it? Are you still a virgin, Edward?" Edward throws back his head and laughs loudly, his deep voice echoing off of the kitchen walls. My face flushes with embarrassment.

"I'm ancient remember? I've had plenty of lovers, Bella. None I've ever cared for the way I do you. Do you remember when we first met when I pulled you over? I was being stern with you."

I frown. "Yes. You were being a bossy jerk and were intimidating me."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I was being bossy for two reasons. One, because you were an underage girl drunk and running around the city. But, two, because when you stepped out of that car and I got a good look at you, I knew you and I were fated to be together. I sensed you were my soul mate and I don't mean that like humans do when they say it. I knew you were created to be my mate just as I was created to be yours. I was angry because you were drunk and so obviously not responsible like I knew I needed in a mate, and, you were inexperienced. I hated the thought of taking someone so innocent and naive and forcing a world of danger and harsh realities upon her. You see, when a dragon first meets his mate, if her abilities have not come out already, they will start to come out quickly after meeting. That means other dragons and vampires and originals can sense her. It's like being put on their radar. Knowing the danger you were about to face made me even angrier that you were drunk and irresponsible. I kept telling myself maybe if I stay away from you, your abilities won't emerge and you can go on living normally for a while, but I just couldn't make myself stay away."

"But don't you see? This is what I've been waiting for my entire life. I feel it in my heart so I know It's true. Like you said, we were fated to be together and I believe I was fated to have these abilities and to be with you. I wouldn't give any of this up for anything."

"Do you really feel that way, Bella?"

"Yes, I do." I lean into Edward and kiss him.

"There's something else, Bella. When dragon's mate...they are not gentle. I mean we try, but it can get rough. It's like putting an egg on a train track and hoping the train will just crack it a bit. Even trying my most to be gentle, you will get some bruises. The lore says when we find our perfect mate, that together our powers will enable our mate to handle the rough sex, but you are so young and inexperienced. What if we need to wait for a while until all your abilities come out. If we rush you may not be ready to handle it. Can you promise me we will wait until more of your powers emerge?"

"I will give us a little more time, for you to realize that I can handle it, but I'm not promising anything." I give him a peck on the cheek. "That's all I can promise for now."

"Well at least it's something," Edward says.

Not too long ago Charlie was worried when I moved here to go to college that college boys would be preying upon me trying to take advantage of me. I laugh to myself at the irony of me pressuring Edward to have sex.

"Should we get going to Alice's? I believe we have a man to interrogate," Edward says.

* * *

Alice has the basement of her house fixed up to be a family room It has beige walls, blue carpeting and a large beige sectional in the middle of the room facing a big screen tv. Off to the side is a pool table. The biker is tied in a chair next to the pool table and Alice, Edward, and I are standing in front of him talking.

"They will kill me if I tell you anything," the biker argues with Alice. Edward leans in close to him.

"I will kill you if you don't. I think dying by my hand would be more painful," Edward says as his body begins to emit the red ember glow beneath his skin. The biker stares in horror and confusion.

"What are you?" The biker asks. Edward stands back up and lets out a small puff of fire. The biker's mouth drops open, then he looks away for a moment, thinking. "No. You won't do it. If you were going to torture me you would have done it by now. You've got morals. The vampires will rip me to pieces. I'm more afraid of them then I am of you."

"I will kill you if you don't tell me where the vampire's nest is,"

"I'm dead either way. I'd rather be killed by you then tortured by the vampires. They have some particularly awful torture devices." Edward scratches his head.

"I saw us fighting the vampires in a vision, so I know we do find them," Alice says, encouraging Edward to keep pressing the biker.

"What if I promised you protection from the vampires?" Edward asks the biker.

"You can do that? It would have to be for life," the biker says.

"Yes I can give you protection for life," Edward promises. Alice raises an eyebrow at Edward. The biker looks lost in thought for a minute.

"It won't be easy. They have powers they get from drinking the blood of special psychics, like her," the biker nods toward me.

"I'm a dragon, Alice is an original, and we have plenty of vampire friends. I think we can manage," says Edward, an impatient tone in his voice.

"They live in a large Victorian house that sits behind the Furgary Fishing Village in Hudson. They have lookouts that hang out around the Shantytown shacks. There's about 30 of them. If you travel by car, they will see you coming. The only way to sneak up on them is by taking the river," the biker says.

"Or fly, Edward adds." The biker looks at him thoughtfully.

"They have all the docks being watched too. Not all of them stay there all the time. From what I've seen, there is usually only about half there at a time. They have houses other places," the biker says.

"How did they manage to give you magicked tattoos?" Alice asks.

"It's the amulet of Selene, mother of vampires. Drajon, the main vampire has it."

"How do we remove the magick from your tattoo?" Edward asks.

"You have to destroy the amulet. It's the only way."

"Or remove the finger," Edward says grimly.

"The amulet does more than magicks our tattoos. When they drain the blood of psychic humans into a bowl, they hold the amulet over it, during a full moon, and the amulet charges the blood to allow the vampire who drinks it to take on the human's special abilities."

"So, if we destroy the amulet, they can't take on any more abilities," Alice says.

"Yes. Now I've told you everything I know. Take me to safety," the biker says to Edward. Edward pulls out his cell and calls Officer Tabers.

"Hi. It's Edward. I've got a situation at The Pine Nut bar in Athens. I'm going to need your special clean-up crew for this and I have the suspect in custody. I'm going to need him to stay in maximum security for life. Also, he has a magicked tat on his finger. We need to temporarily deactivate it until I can remove it permanently. If you can't get it deactivated, cut it off. Thanks." Edward hangs up.

"What? Maximum security? For life? You double-crossed me!" The biker yells.

"I gave you just what I promised. Protection for life. No vampires will get to you there. I promise." Edward leans down and rips the biker's rope away from his body, freeing him from his chair and grabs his arm. "I'm going to drop him off with Officer Tabers," Edward says as he walks the biker up the stairs. The biker fights ferociously but Edward hardly notices as he drags him up the steps.

I've wanted to ask you before. What were you and Officer Tabers fighting about at the library the time I saw you there. You two looked like you were having quite a heated argument," I ask before Edward makes it to the door.

"He was telling me I was nuts for wanting to bring a young, immature girl into this crazy life and put her in danger. He doesn't understand you were already in danger because of your abilities." Edward smiles when he sees my surprised expression. "Told you I already knew we were meant to be together from the first time I saw you."

Edward gives me a wink and continues dragging the biker up the stairs and out the door. When I turn back to look at Alice, she is sitting on the couch with her laptop in her lap. I walk over and take a seat next to her. She has a map of Hudson up.

"I know right where we need to go. I just wish I knew someone with a small boat," says Alice.

"Charlie has a little fishing boat," I say, excited. I pull out my cell and call Charlie. There's no answer. "Why don't we go there. He could be outside. I have a hitch on my truck. If he's not there we can take the boat and leave a message."

* * *

Edward came back to Alice's house at the same time Jacob showed up and we filled him in on what was going on. He's insisting on going along to help fight.

"Jacob I'm really concerned about you. Aren't you too new of a vampire to be put in such a dangerous situation?" I say.

"Actually, Bella, Jacob is newborn. He is stronger than any of us right now," Alice says. "And I've called all our family. Esme, Carlisle, and Jasper are coming along too. The others are out of state."

"Aren't you the efficient one!" Jacob says to Alice. She glances sideways at him and bats her eyes. He gives her a one-sided, dimpled smile. They look like they forgot they weren't alone for a moment. I looked up into Edward's eyes and raise both eyebrows, wondering if he noticed their intimate interaction also. Edward shrugs.

We all pile into my truck and drive to Charlies. He isn't home so I leave a note on his kitchen table (he insists I still keep a key so I can come home any time I like) and attach the boat to the hitch and off we go.

The boat ride isn't too long. We reach the shore just as the sun is setting. There's no dock so we have to get out in the water and walk to the ground. Edward drags a long rope to shore and ties it around the base of a large tree, securing the boat. We walk down a long, half-deserted road to the Tea House. The main dining area is large and completely empty.

Edward makes sure I am comfortably sitting inside and have enough money to buy dinner. He allowed me to go along but refuses to let me get close to the vampires so I promised to wait here until they are finished. If I run into any trouble I can now mind-speak to Edward to get his help. He leans down and gives me a kiss goodbye and then quickly straightens up and begins to smell the air. I know something's wrong. I quietly watch him.

Edward grabs his cell and calls Alice. "In here," is all he says. Before I can ask what's going on everyone is inside and standing next to Edward.

"In the back," Alice orders.

"Jacob, stay with Bella," Edward says as the rest rush off to the kitchen in the back of the tea house. I stand up by Jacob's side. We both stand in silence trying to listen for any sounds. We hear only light scuffling sounds. After a few minutes, Alice walks back into the main room.

"There were four back there. We took care of them. Edward, Esme, and Carlisle are surveying the outside. It went easier than I thought it would..." Alice's sentence drops off as she stares up the long, wooden staircase. At the top stands a tall, statuesque man with white hair, wearing a plain black cape and black patent leather shoes.

"So you've come to disturb my family I see. Or did you come to bring me your tasty delight? She will make a fine addition to my abilities." The vampire nods to me as he speaks. I freeze too scared to say or do anything. Jacob grabs my arm and pulls me behind him.

"You're not touching her," Jacob orders authoritatively. Alice runs up the steps. When she gets to the top step, directly in front of the vampire, he holds his palm outward toward her face. White smoke drifts outward from his palm and into Alice's frozen face. She stands unwavering, like a wax doll.

"Alice?" Jacob's voice comes out shaky, exposing his fear. There is no answer. I try to mind-talk Edward, screaming his name inside my head and hear no reply. The vampire begins to descend the stairs, slowly. I close my eyes and try to concentrate like I did in the basement of the bar, but I can not take my mind off of the approaching vampire. He steps down onto the floor, Jacob runs up to him and swing at him. The vampire moves gracefully, sidestepping out of Jacob's reach. Jacob takes another swing. The vampire sidesteps again and laughs. Playing with Jacob.

"You are fast, newborn, but you are too clumsy." he taunts.

"Bella, run outside to find Edward," Jacob says as he steps between me and the vampire. The vampire holds his palm outward toward Jacob's face and smoke releases. Jacob dashes backward to avoid the smoke. I run for the front door and open it to see Edward on the other side. He steps inside, picks me up and runs to the corner of the room, releasing me there.

"Stay here so I know where you are," Edward orders me and then races up to Jacob's side. He notices Alice frozen at the top of the stairs and looks at Jacob.

"He has smoke that comes out of his palm that did that," Jacob tells him.

Two more vampires come running from the back kitchen area, towards Jacob and Edward. Edward races toward them, exchanging blows. The white-haired vampire begins to walk closer to Jacob and I. When he gets close to Jacob, he holds his palm out and begins emitting white smoke from it once again. Jacob springs into action and begins to run around the vampire in a circle. Faster and faster he races around the vampire.

Jacob is so fast I don't see him anymore but instead see his trail of air he is creating. The vampire watches him, confusion on his face as he releases his smoke. Jacob's air trail starts turning into a mini tornado around the vampire, causing his smoke to be forced back into his own face. He tries to step past the tornado but the wind keeps him in place. He twists his head trying to avoid his own smoke and screams as the smoke overpowers him and leaves him frozen like Alice.

I remember Edward and glance over toward him. He has killed the two vampires and is watching Jacob in awe. Jacob looks over at Edward and Edward nods his approval. Jacob jumps up into the air, landing his feet on top of the vampire's shoulders, grabs his head with both hands, and pulls. He throws the vampire head to the floor and then races up the stairs to check on Alice. Alice's knees weaken and she goes down, to be caught just before hitting the floor, by Jacob.

* * *

 **A/N:To be continued...(I didn't do this to leave you hanging. I just didn't want to make my readers wait any longer for more). I will try to finish it tomorrow and post it.**


	16. Chapter 16 Show Down With The Sjorginys

**Fated**

 **Chapter 16**

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay. I have taken ill. It may be a couple weeks before I can get chapter 17 out.**

* * *

"What do we do now?" Jacob asks. Still holding Alice in his arms.

"How about letting me down?" Alice laughs.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jacob asks.

"Yes. I'm fine." Jacob sets Alice on her feet. Everyone looks at Edward, who is rubbing a finger along either side of his chin, deep in thought.

"I would like to take Bella home where she's safe before we fight any more vampires, but they're going to notice some are missing so we have to attack them fast while we still have the advantage of surprise. Jacob, would you take Bella home?"

"Edward, you said you won't keep sending me off. There are so many of you to fight and keep me safe. Jacob did wonderfully protecting me. I will try to stay out of the way. Besides you need me when you catch one alive to see if I can get visions as to where the rest are hiding."

"She has a point, Edward. I can only see the future of whom I'm touching. Seeing hideouts is Bella's trick," Alice says.

Edward looks deep into my eyes. "Then I guess I have to hurry up and catch one of them." I smile at him.

We hear movement coming from the kitchen. Esme, Carlisle, and Jasper walk up to us.

"We took out 3 that were in the shacks. Hopefully, they were the only lookouts. Be careful, they have some weird powers," Jasper says.

Jacob, Alice and I look at each other. "We know," we all say in unison.

"I think there's about fifteen in the house. Two on the porch and two out back. Shouldn't be too hard," Jasper says.

"Jacob will you stay close to Bella and protect her," Edward says. Jacob nods. "Alice and I will take out the two on the porch. Esme and Carlisle take out the two out back and Jasper can you look around and take care of any we miss?" Edward asks.

"Sounds like a plan," Jasper says and we all walk out through the kitchen and out the back door. The Victorian house is down a long dirt driveway. We keep ourselves partway hidden by walking through the trees on either side of the driveway. Edward and Alice suddenly race toward the house. The two vampires on the porch must have spotted us. Esme and Carlisle take off around the back of the house. Jasper, Jacob and I continue to walk through the trees getting closer.

"I'll be nearby taking care of stragglers. Whistle if you need me," Jasper says and then disappears through the trees. I look at Jacob. He purses his lips together and blows but makes no sound and looks at me.

"Don't look at me. I can't whistle," I say.

By the time we get up to the house, there are two dead vampires on the porch and the front door is wide open. We hear a commotion inside.

"Edward would want us to wait here," Jacob tells me. I frown.

"Do you really want to wait here? You can protect me. Let's just peek inside," I say.

"Alright," Jacob says with a sigh. He knows arguing with me is no use.

* * *

We step inside the Victorian house. A huge room, with wooden polished floors that run wall to wall, dominates the downstairs. There are couches and chairs spread throughout. In the center of the room lies a fire pit lined in stones in two layers. A fire burning in between the layers. Lit torches placed inside a metal frame, line the outside. Inside stones are stacked to form a circle with a large S in its middle. To the left of the room, there is a large wooden staircase leading up to the second story.

Edward and Alice are each fighting several vampires at once. There are five dead on the floor. Two vampires pick Edward up by the neck, running, they slam him into the large, stone fireplace. His body embeds into the stones two feet deep. One vampire, with pure white hair, opens up his mouth and breaths out ice shards. They hit the stones and build a solid wall of ice over the fireplace 5 foot deep, encasing Edward inside. I'm so scared I grab Jacobs arm. The ice vampire hears commotions outside, probably Esme and Carlisle, and runs out the back.

"Why isn't he using his fire," I whisper to Jacob.

"I don't know. Maybe the ice is preventing him from getting hot."

Alice now has five vampires on her at once. Two have each arm, holding them out, stretching her. She is using her feet and legs expertly to kick each vampire that tries to come up close to her. Jacob is squeezing my hand so hard it hurts. He feels me wiggle my hand trying to release myself from his grip and he lets go. His eyes never leaving Alice. I can tell he's conflicted about protecting me and helping Alice.

"Go," I tell Jacob. There is one vampire coming up behind Alice, getting ready to jump up, probably going to perform Alice's own trick on her and try to remove her head. Jacob slams into him pushing them both completely through the wall and into the other room. I can hear them fighting.

I run up to the ice that is keeping Edward captive. If I can free him he can help Alice. I don't know what else to do so I feel the ice with my hands and find a crack. I look around for something to break the ice with. I grab the fireplace poker in both hands and slam it hard into the ice. Some ice chips away and drops to the floor. I keep chipping away at the ice while watching Alice fight the vampires.

I don't understand why Alice has not killed the vampires already. It looks like they are much stronger than her. But she is an original. Maybe it has something to do with these vampires gaining special powers. Chipping at the ice isn't working. I look around the room trying to find something to help Edward and Alice. I spot the torches lining the fire pit and run over and grab a torch, struggling to free it from it's metal frame, I eventually pull it out and run up to Alice. The torch is very heavy but I hold it up with both my hands, refusing to drop it. My arms aching, I ram the torch into the vampire's side that is holding Alice's left arm. He lights on fire instantly and starts screaming and turning in circles, smacking himself trying to put the fire out.

Alice twists her body, jumps in the air and lands on the other vampire's shoulders who is holding her right arm. She twists and pulls his head off and throws it to the floor. His body drops to the floor limp, next to the burnt vampire corpse. Another vampire backhands me in the face, sending me sprawling through the air. The torch falls to the floor and I land with a hard thud. The vampire then races back to fight Alice along with the other one. Jacob comes back through the broken wall and fights by Alice's side.

I get up quick. This is no place to stop to baby myself or take care of my ouchies, I tell myself and I run to the torch and pick it up and head over the ice wall. I press the torch against the wall. It's slowly melting the ice. I place it down on the floor to melt the bottom of the ice while I run back and grab another torch.

Jacob and Alice manage to kill one of the vampires on Alice and now there is only one left. He notices what I'm doing and runs over to Edward's ice wall. He stares at it, investigating, picks a spot and slams both fists into the ice. The ice shatters and sends cracked fragments spraying through the room. He grabs Edward, puts him over his shoulder and pulls him out and sets him on the floor then runs back to help Alice. Jacob performs Alice's special kill trick perfectly, killing the last vampire in the room.

Edward still looks frozen. He can't move or talk. I grab a torch and hold it near him, trying to warm him. Esme runs in the back door carrying Carlisle, encased in a block of ice. She sets him down next to Edward.

"Bella..."

Jasper comes in the front door and looks around, seeing Edward and Carlisle, a look of panic washes over his face.

"Bella...Bella. Listen to me." It's a voice inside my head. I look around the room. Doesn't look like anyone else has heard it. "Bella, you can't win. All your friends are going to die." I close my eyes and concentrate on the voice. Images slowly build in my mind. I see a vampire with yellow/blonde spiky hair, wearing a dark leather jacket and jeans. He's the same vampire I saw before in a vision. From his neck hangs a silver amulet with a circle etched on it's front and a large S etched in the middle. Selene's amulet! He's speaking to me telepathically! "Bella...Tell me you will come to me and I will let your friends live. Look around. They haven't got a chance to survive this."

I shake my head trying to rid myself of the vision and voice and look around the room. While I was having my vision 10 more vampires came in the room and have us surrounded. The ice vampire is in the center.

"Everyone get out!" Jasper orders as he walks toward the ice vampire, planning on facing him alone.

"I won't leave Edward," I scream.

"I won't leave Carlisle," Esme says calmly but determined.

"Edward, can you hear me? Edward, you need to get up!" He isn't responding. I'm panicking now. Looking around it looks like all the others are panicking too. Jasper is lashing out at vampires as they encircle us. One has gotten Alice in a headlock and she cannot move. Jacob is punching his sides and back trying to get him to release Alice but he isn't budging. The ice vampire begins to spit out ice shards again, aiming at Esme. Jasper jumps in front of her. He quickly becomes encased in ice and drops to the floor.

I'm holding onto Edward as he's slumped on the floor on his back. I've pulled him onto my lap. Tears streaming down my face. The ice vampire walks up to us. Jacob and Esme both race over. Jacob punches him in the back. Esme grabs for his head but he turns and hits her with a blast of ice. He turns to face Jacob. Jacob's skin begins to freeze.

A cloud begins to appear. It looks like everyone is frozen in time for a second while the cloud builds. It grows large and thick. I cannot see anything through it. I wish I was back home. Home safe with Charlie like I always used to be. Alice and I are the only ones not frozen and Alice is in a headlock by one of the vampires. It's up to me to save us but there's nothing I can do. I just want to go home to Charlie.

As the cloud begins to thin I can make out shapes in it. I see a couch and tv. I feel a soft rug under me. I look around. I'm in Charlie's living room at home still holding Edward on my lap. My throat is sore and dry. My nose is dripping blood and my head is pounding. I look around and see everyone is here. We're all safe but everyone besides myself and Alice are encased in ice blocks.

I try to stand but get dizzy and fall back to the floor. I see Alice resting her palms against Jacob's ice block. She turns to look at me. "Bella, Jacob's ice block is vibrating." We both watch as the ice shimmers and shakes. Little pieces begin to chip off and fall to the floor. Larger chunks now fall piece by piece. The last of the ice shatters and drops to the floor as Jacob is freed. Alice wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him deeply. I don't know which I'm more shocked by. That Jacob could break free of the ice when no one else could or Alice's impulsive kiss. I look back down at Edward. He doesn't look good and is frozen through.

"Jacob, do you think you can do that to Edward? I... I think he's dying," I say. Jacob races over and kneels down next to Edward. He wraps his arms around Edward's body tight and begins vibrating so fast he looks like a paint mixer. Slowly Edward's warm glow builds in his body. I stand up and back away to give them room. Suddenly Edward pushes his arms out straight hitting Jacob in the chest and sending him flying up into the ceiling. The drywall breaks and chunks fall to the floor and Jacob lands on his feet just as Edward's entire body bursts into flames. Edward stands up brushing drywall off of his clothes.

"That was close," Edward says.

"For who," Jacob says. Edward looks at Jacob.

"Both of us." Jacob nods. "Now let's free the others," Edward says. Jacob wraps his arms around Jasper and begins to vibrate as Edward's skin turns bright red and he stands in front of Esme. Her ice turns to water and melts away. Then Edward frees Carlisle the same way. Jasper, once free of his ice, pats Jacob on the back.

"Good job, newborn. I guess you are the only one of us who can move fast enough to vibrate," says Jasper.


	17. Chapter 17 Recoop and Replan

**Fated**

 **Chapter 17**

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you everyone for your patience. I'm just starting to feel better and will try to get new chapters out faster to make up for my delays. Thank you for understanding! I didn't want to take the time to get my story beta's so please excuse the mistakes!**

* * *

Everyone freed from the ice, we're all standing around looking at the damage on the ceiling and the puddles of water on the carpet in Charlie's house.

"How the hell did we get here, and where are we?" Jasper says as he looks around the living room. I look at Edward. When our eyes meet, I see concern wash over Edward's face. He rushes to my side, wrapping his arms around me to hold me up as my knees begin to weaken and buckle. My dizziness worsens and my head begins to pound with a full-blown migraine. Edward guides me over to the couch and helps me sit, taking a seat next to me.

"Bella transported us here," Edward announces, his eyes never leaving mine. Everyone looks at me.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Carlisle asks. I nod my head slightly.

"Yes but I have a headache and feel dizzy and exhausted and starving."

"How did you transport us here?" Carlisle asks.

"I don't know," I offer to Carlisle and then look at Jasper. "We're at my father, Charlie's house."

I lean back against the couch holding my head in my hands. Edward is hovering over me like a loving nursemaid with his arm around my back and his hand on my knee. Waves of pain ripple across my temple. Jacob walks up to me and bends down to look me in the face.

"Your nose is bleeding," Jacob says with concern in his eyes. He pulls out a handkerchief and holds it up to my nostrils. I take it from him and press it against each side of my nostrils, trying to stop the bleeding. I feel a bit of cold run down my chin.

Esme bends down alongside Jacob and takes the handkerchief from my hand. "Here, you have to pinch each side of your nostrils together to stop the bleeding." She holds the handkerchief against either side of my nose and pinches hard. "See, you have to put pressure on it..." Her voice trails off as she stares at the blood that's running down my chin.

"Thanks, Esme." My voice brings her back to reality as I take the handkerchief from her and do as she instructs. She shakes her head trying to clear her mind from thoughts of my blood and stands up and backs away. Her and Carlisle exchange glances. I look around the room to see who else is affected by the scent of my blood. Jacob shows no signs of desire, neither does Alice, Edward, or Carlisle. Jasper has backed himself up against the farthest wall. As far away from me as possible.

"What's wrong with her, Edward?" Jacob asks.

"She should have never been able to pull off such a strong magick. She doesn't yet have enough energy to handle it and it drained her health. Did you try to do this, Bella? Was this on purpose?"

I speak softly to not worsen my migraine. "No. I had no idea I was doing it or could do it. I was frightened you were dying and we were all going to die and kept thinking about how I wish we were all at Charlie's house. When I saw the cloud forming I thought it may have been me doing it but I didn't know how I was doing it or what I was doing."

"Don't ever do anything like that again, Bella. You could have killed yourself!" Edward demands.

"I think Edward means thank you for saving all of our lives, Bella," Carlisle says softly as he walks up to us, then raises an eyebrow at Edward.

Edward sighs. "Yes, she did save our lives. We were not ready to face those vampires with all their powers. We need to come up with a plan before going back there. But not until Bella is completely rested up and feeling better. I'm not leaving her side until then."

"Agreed," Carlisle says.

Alice walks over to Charlie's kitchen and opens up the refrigerator, pulls out a bottle of water and walks to me. She takes the cap off of it and hands it to me. "Here, drink this, Bella. You're probably dehydrated as well as drained of all your energy. You need to drink and eat something or else you will get nauseated." I grab the bottle and guzzle several mouthfuls.

"Thanks, Alice."

"Do you want me to find you something to eat? It didn't look like there was much in Charlie's refrigerator but I can check the cabinets." I take my hands from my head and look up at Alice.

"Charlie! I forgot about Charlie! He may be home soon. We have to get out of here!" I stand up too quickly and get dizzy and fall back onto the couch. Edward places a hand against my shoulder preventing me from standing up again.

"You have to rest, Bella. Don't try to walk. I need to get you food and then you need to sleep. Just give me a minute." Edward says, then he gets up and kneels on the wet carpet. Within seconds his body begins glowing ember red and heat radiates outward in all directions. He blows small flames from his mouth, being careful to not catch anything on fire, and within a minute the entire wet carpet is dried and looks like nothing happened.

Edward stands up. "There, No traces of us."

"Not quite." Jasper points to the broken drywall on the ceiling."

"Oh, that's right," Edward says as he looks up and his eyes meet the hole in the ceiling. "We can't fix that."

I'm holding my head again, trying to brainstorm ideas for excuses. "I'll tell Charlie I came over for a visit and brought an electric skateboard that blew up and damaged the ceiling."

"That doesn't sound like a plausible excuse, Bella," Esme says.

I look up at Esme. "I know, but it's Charlie. He's used to having to accept stories from being a single dad raising a daughter alone. I'll start talking about cramps and he won't ask questions because he'll be too busy trying to get away from me. It's a trick I learned when I hit puberty." I smile. Esme smiles back.

"I will go get the boat and bring it back to Charlie's driveway. Esme, would you like to help me?" Carlisle says as he holds out his hand. Esme places her hand in his as they turn into a blur racing out the door.

"I'm taking Bella home. Let's all get out of here before Charlie gets home. Last one out locks the door," Edward grabs me up in his arms again and speeds out the door. Once outside he very quickly raises his fire-wings and takes flight with me in his arms.

* * *

I sit up in bed, rubbing my eyes. As my vision clears I see Edward sitting in a chair next to me. He leans up and takes my hand.

"How are you feeling, Bella?"

I think for a second, getting my thoughts together. "I don't have a migraine anymore and I feel well rested. I'm doing good. How long did I sleep?"

"It's been three days. Today is Wednesday."

"Three days! Edward, I had work and school!"

"It's okay. I called your work and told them you had the flu and I told Patty the same. She got classwork and notes for you. I've been watching over you the entire time. Charlie called to talk about the electric skateboard accident but I told him you had the flu. He said to call him when you're feeling better and don't worry about the ceiling. Bella, you seriously drained your health. You can never do that again. I've been so scared. If anything ever happened to you..." I lean forward and place my lips against Edwards. He wraps his arms around me while he gets up and sits on the edge of my bed. Pulling me in close to him, he kisses me deeply.

"I love you, Bella Swan," he says between kisses.

"I love you too."

We hear three knocks at the front door. I throw my covers off of me.

"Do you feel well enough to get up?" Edward asks.

"Yes. I feel great. Let's go see who's at the door."

"It's Alice," Edward says. I give him a quizzical look. "I recognize her scent." Edward and I head down the stairs. I open the front door to find Alice's smiling face warmly greeting me.

"Bella, you're up and moving around. How are you feeling?"

"Hi, Alice. I feel great. I can't believe I slept that long but I'm good to go now. Come on in."

I step aside and allow Alice to enter.

"So, what's our next plan?" I ask.

We have to destroy that amulet before we can take on the rest of the vampire coven. The amulet is what's giving them all their special powers and we can't take them on until those powers are stripped, especially that ice guy!" A flame quickly flickers in Edward's eyes, he has a score to settle with the ice vampire.

"I've had a vision of the head vampire," Alice says. I saw Pebbles Island State Park so I believe he's holding up somewhere in the park, but I don't know where.

I suddenly remember the vampire calling out to me. "Something happened during the fight that I didn't have a chance to tell you," I say. Edward's eyebrows narrow together and he tilts his head a bit to one side, watching me, waiting for my explanation.

"What is it, Bella?" Alice asks.

"When everyone was getting frozen and I was on the floor holding you," I look at Edward. "The main vampire spoke to me through my mind. He called to me and said that all of you were going to die and he would spare you if I went to him. I could see him in my mind and I saw he was wearing the amulet. I don't know how I know but I'm sure that was the amulet he was wearing around his neck. It had a circle with an S etched on the front."

"Dammit! Now he wants you too! How many damn vampires are going to keep coming for you!" Edward's face takes on a strained appearance, the lines on his face tightening. He looks stressed out.

"It's okay, Edward. We are going to get him and his entire coven," Alice asserts. "Did you see anything or hear anything that may tell us where he is?"

"It looked like he was in a clearing with trees all around," I say.

"If I get us to the general area in the park where I believe he is, do you think you would be able to recognize anything to lead us to his exact location, Bella?" Alice asks.

"I think I can recognize something it if I saw it again," I say.

"Okay. So the plan is to get everyone ready. Some of us will go get the leader and destroy his amulet while the others go back to the Sjorginys and await word of the amulet being destroyed and then kill them all," Edward says then looks at me. "We will need Charlie's boat again. I'm sure you need a few days to get caught up on your school work and I could use a few days to see if I can find out anything more about this amulet. Maybe Officer Tabers will know something about it." Edward turns to Alice. "Can you see if everyone can do this Saturday night?"

"Sure thing," Alice says.

Edward turns to me and places an arm around my waist. "Now let's keep from doing any large magicks this time, shall we?" His beautiful eyes sparkling wickedly.

"Speaking of large magicks. Edward, Bella, the reason Bella was able to do such a strong magick is because she was with her Soul Dragon, that is her perfect mate, you Edward. You two were meant to be together. Bella's powers will increase as your love increases. Normally the human's magick does not increase until after their love is consummated, but in this case, Bella's magick seems to be increasing but, her energy is not. In order to keep Bella's magick from overpowering and killing her, you two need to consummate. That way her energy reserve will increase also. Until that happens, Bella, you have to be very careful to not do any strong magick."

I'm grinning from ear to ear as I open my eyes wide and stare at Edward, awaiting his reaction. He's quiet and still for a minute. Then palms his forehead deep in thought.

"I will leave you two alone to talk." Alice pats Edward's shoulder as if sympathizing with his dilemma and then winks at me with a grin before she walks out the door."


	18. Chapter 18 Let's Get It Going

**Fated**

 **Chapter 18**

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 **A/N: I'm going to try to put out my updates more often to make up for the times I had delayed them.**

 **I have to put a Disclaimer on this chapter!**

 **```````Warning: Strong sexual situations in this chapter!```````**

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After spending the rest of the day studying the notes Patty gave me from my missed classes, I had Chinese food delivered for a late dinner and Edward came by after work. We're sitting on my bed watching a movie. My bedroom is fairly small with not much in it. Just my bed, a nightstand with a lamp, my bureau and my tv sitting on top of my bureau. The walls are painted white and the carpeting is beige. I have the lights off, the room lite only by the tv and some light coming in through the window. I'm glad I have finally started keeping my room cleaned up or I would be so embarrassed right now.

We're both leaning up against my wall, our legs outstretched on the bed and Edward's arm around my shoulders as my head lies on his shoulder. I turn my head and look up at him.

"Edward, How does Alice know so much about Dragons and their mates?"

"She's an Original. Her father was a dragon and her mother a human with a genetic line of magick in her family. Her mother told her all about dragons and their mates."

"Was a dragon? Her father is no longer alive?" I ask. Edward shakes his head no.

"He was killed a long time ago by another dragon who wanted Alice's mom for his mate. After he killed Alice's dad, her mother went after him and was killed by him. It's said he's still alive searching for a human mate with strong abilities, but no one has actually seen him in centuries."

"Do you know any other dragons?"

"No. I don't. The only sources I have for dragon information is Alice and Officer Tabers."

"You never told me. Who were your parents? Are they still alive?" I ask.

"I never knew my parents and have no idea who they are. I was dropped off at an orphanage when I was a baby. On my 16 birthday, I found out I was a dragon, the hard way." Edward lowers his gaze and talks softly. "I awoke in the middle of the night not feeling well. My parents were asleep in their beds. I went to the bathroom and when I looked at myself in the mirror I saw red glowing skin. As I started to freak out, my skin began smoking and when I went to scream, fire came out of my mouth. The entire house burnt down around us and only I stood in the center untouched. My parents died. I took off frightened and alone, hiding from the law for fear of being arrested. I spent years living alone and trying to determine what I was, then Carlisle found me and befriended me. He told me I was a dragon and introduced me to Alice who was able to give me more information about myself. Then I met the rest of the family and never felt alone again. I don't know what I would have done without Carlisle and Alice."

"That's a beautiful story, Edward. Thank you for sharing it with me."

Edward leans down and kisses me. I close my eyes and relish in his kiss. His breath always smells like fresh mint. It reminds me of my favorite mint toothpaste, the smell of which has always been an aphrodisiac for me. He reaches up and strokes my hair as his lips linger on mine. I lay my hand on his chest, feeling his muscles bulge under his shirt. We lie kissing for several minutes, then his lips move from mine and slowly he kisses down my neck, leaving moist trails of sensual heat on my skin. I'm thinking this is the part coming up where he stops the action every time but I'm the one who needs to take a break this time.

"Edward, I have to use the bathroom," I whisper and scamper off the bed to my bathroom. Within a few short minutes, I open the bathroom door and stand in the doorway in my new black, sheer, babydoll nightie I bought earlier today. I've never worn anything like this before and I'm feeling self-conscious, but the look on Edward's face removes any doubt I've had. He can't take his eyes off of me as he rises from the bed and walks over to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me deeply, then swoops me up in his arms and carries me to the bed. I try to hide a smirk I know is spreading across my face.

He lies me down gently on the right side of the bed then slowly removes his shirt. The light coming in through the window is enough to reveal the ripples and shadows of his pumped chest and abs. Removing his pants, he reveals his sexy legs under a pair of black, Calvin Klein boxers. I turn on my side as he climbs onto the left side of the bed, facing me. His eyes rake over me for what feels like forever. His eyes linger at my panties through my sheer nightie and he licks his lips, then moves his eyes upward over my tummy until his vision rests upon my breasts, which are heaving heavily, my nipples piercing through the sheer fabric.

I feel the heat from his lips penetrating my skin as he leans in and places kisses along my right shoulder. His arms around my waist, his hands grasp the small of my back and pull my hips in against his. As Edward works his kisses downward from my shoulder, he places a finger inside my lace shoulder strap and gently slides it down over my arm. His fingers slide over the lace cup of my nightie, pulling it down freeing my right breast.

He slides his lips down the side of my breast and then brings them back up to rest on my nipple. His warm tongue flicks across my nipple, teasing it back and forth. My back arches as tingling heat shoots through my nipple. Then he cups the bottom of my breast with his right hand and sucks my nipple into his mouth.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers as he presses my nipple between his teeth, lightly biting.

"Oh, Edward." I'm at a loss for any other words. My loins are screaming with desire. He pulls his mouth away from my breast and slides his finger inside my other shoulder strap pulling it down. Then his fingers rake across the fabric of the cup, sliding it downward and freeing my other breast. He tweaks that nipple between his forefinger and thumb, pinching and rolling it. He then leans back slightly to look at both my breasts, then cups each one in a hand, massaging them as he watches. His eyes are hungry, his breath becoming deep.

I feel my panties moisten as a deep ache rises inside my loins. He leans in and sucks hard on my right breast, pulling away while still sucking until just the end of my nipple is in his mouth. He pulls roughly away, my nipple pops out of his mouth with a shocking pleasure-filled pain. He does the same to my other breast, making sure each one gets equal attention.

He sits up and presses me down onto my back as he climbs on top of me. His legs straddling over top of mine. He pauses for a moment to take in the sight of my body from my breasts to my loins. Then he grabs the top of my nightie and in one quick yank, he tears it in half, ripping it away from my body. I am clothed only in my black panties.

He grasps a breast in each hand and plays with them, massaging and tweaking as he runs his tongue down the center of my body. When he gets to my naval he kisses it deeply, causing an odd tickle in the pit of my stomach. I close my eyes and moan and gasp at his touch, quietly begging for more. His tongue trails down my body and slips inside the folds of my panties, leaving hot, wet trails in its wake. My breath is coming fast and deep. I'm aware of a drastic increase in the temperature of the room.

I open my eyes and look down to see Edward has a deep red ember glow inside his body. A tiny bit of steam is coming off of his shoulders. His hands, now placed on each of my thigh, presses them down against the bed as he buries his face into my sheer, black panties.

"Oh, God," I cry out as his tongue presses against my panties, moist heat from his tongue and mouth against my clitoris, brings waves of passion and desire. With one hand he grabs my panties and pulls them off of me, dropping them to the floor, then lowers himself as his tongue travels downward to leave me to relish in ecstasy.

I'm in a state of vulnerable bliss, completely at his mercy. My body responds to his demands as I gasp and moan and arch my back. Moist, hot saliva drips down my thighs as his tongue teases my clitoris.

He backs his head away while I catch my breath. After a couple of deep breaths, I feel a thickened finger slide down my pubic region and slowly glide along my lips. It slips its way in at my clitoris and slowly circles it, causing waves of passion to pulse through my body. I feel his finger getting moistened from me as he plays with my clit. I'm breathing in heavy gasps now. I moan as his finger slowly slips inside me. I feel it slide along my vagina walls, pressing against them. He slowly moves it in and out, as it becomes more moistened he picks up the pace. I rock my hips in unison with his finger. He slips his finger all the way out of me and then I feel two thickened fingers enter me. He slowly slides them deep inside me. I feel them pressed against the back of my vagina, as far in as they can go. It is so tight and painful but feels so good.

As he rocks two fingers inside me, he presses in deeper with each thrust. I place my hands on his shoulders, grasping on tight. He presses harder as I arch my back more with each thrust. I want to cry out that I can't handle anymore, but I don't want it to stop. I open my thighs more, allowing him greater access to me, completely surrendering to his will.

He slides his fingers out of me and quickly rips off his boxers and climbs on top of me once again. He grabs my ass with both hands and lifts me up into the air as he presses himself down upon me, forcing himself deep inside me. I cry out and place my arms outstretched on the bed, grasping tightly onto the sheets as he thrust in deeper. My pain is my pleasure as he pumps himself in and out of me in a primal, vicious passion. With each thrust the headboard slams into my bedroom wall with a loud thud.

He's filling me up inside, his thick manhood burrowing into me deep and hard. The pain is intense but it is such a strong, passionate pain that I don't want it to end. On the next thrust, I panic and try to move upward in the bed but Edward wraps his hands around my shoulders and holds me firmly in place, oblivious to my pain. The heat coming off his body is intensifying. I open my eyes and see more steam pouring off of his body as he rocks me harder still.

"Edward," I gasp in a whisper. "You're getting hot and steaming." Edward comes out of his primal focus and looks at his body. He closes his eyes for a second and the steam disappears and the temperature drops back to comfortable as he concentrates. He opens his eyes again and smiles at me and kisses me.

"Am I being too rough on you, Bella?"

I shake my head no. "No. Don't stop." I lied but I don't care if it hurts. I want him more than I've ever desired anything in my life. He pulls out of me and flips me over onto my stomach before I know what is happening, I'm facing down into my pillow. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me up to my hands and knees and enters me from behind. His hands firmly holding my hips in place, he thrust himself into me. A new wave of pleasure hits me and I gasp. He slams himself into me again and again, each time pulling my hips backward to meet his thrust. His rod thrusts deep inside me so far I feel like it will come through my stomach, and I love it.

I'm slamming my hips back against him as hard as he is slamming himself into me. With his right hand, he grabs onto a chunk of my hair and holds tight. After a while, my legs begin to weaken and buckle and I fall onto the bed. Edward follows with his body, still inside me, pressing me harder onto the bed. He wraps his arm around my waist pulling my hips up, holding them in the air as he continues to pound himself inside me, his heavy breathing turning into deep grunts with each thrust. I have no strength left in my body, my muscles are weak and sore and I am completely at his mercy as his thrusts build in intensity and his grunting gets louder until he climaxes in a hot fury of steam as his cock pulses hot waves of desire through me. When he releases my hips I fall to the bed in an exhausted heap, as does he.


	19. Chapter 19 Treasure Hunt

**Fated**

 **Chapter 19**

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 **A/N: Thanks everyone for your patience lately. I'm feeling better but still have health issues so I'm not getting a chapter out every week. I appreciate your patience and will continue to try to get the chapters out as soon as I can.**

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The cafeteria at college is always noisy on Fridays. Patty and I have to raise our voices to hear each other.

"I'm telling you, Bella, there is something different about you. I just can't put my finger on it. Your face looks more colorful. Your cheeks are rosy." I give her a coy smile and lean in close to her, talking into her ear so no one else will hear.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday. Edward and I finally had sex," I say with a hint of embarrassment in my voice.

"O.M.G!" Patty slams her hand down on the table with a loud bang. I see several students turn their heads to look in our direction. "He finally steps up to the plate! So. Let's hear all about it. How was Officer Fine Ass?"

"Patty!" I feel my face flush with embarrassment.

"Come on, Bella. You can't tell me that without giving details. I want details! When? Where?" I snicker and shake my head at Patty.

"It was great. Wednesday night at our place."

"Was he in your room the whole night? I had no idea!"

"No. He was on call and had to leave." I can't tell Patty that he was afraid to stay because sometimes his body glows with that red ember while he sleeps and didn't want Patty to see him, so he went home. I pull out my cell and look at the time. "It's almost time for class. We can talk about it later." I grab my lunch tray and stand up. Patty does the same. We walk to the trash cans to dispose of lunch.

"Are we going to O'Toole's tonight? We can talk about it then," Patty says.

"I'm sorry, Patty. I was invited to go to Alice's house with Edward tonight." I feel bad because I know Jacob is going to Alice's also and Patty will be left with neither of us to hang out with tonight, but Patty is outgoing and friendly. I'm sure she will find others to hang out with at Otoole's.

"I will just have to wait to hear the details, but don't make me wait any longer than tomorrow," Patty says as she throws her lunch in the trash and then walks off to class. I watch her walk away.

"Hello, Bella," Says a voice in my ear. I turn my head to the right and see Craig. I didn't see him walk up to me and am so startled I almost drop my tray.

"Oh, Craig. Hi. You startled me," I say as I empty my tray into the trash and place the empty tray on top of the can. Craig has an odd way of staring at me. He stares at me for too long without blinking. It's really creepy.

"I haven't seen you around much lately. I was hoping we would get more chances to talk but I never see you between or after classes," Craig says.

"I work a lot of hours so I don't normally stay around after classes nor usually take a lunch break. I'm usually studying during lunch. I'm sorry, but I have to get to class," I say and then turn to walk away. Craig grabs my right arm in his hand and holds me firmly in place. I'm shocked and annoyed and quickly turn my head back to look at him. I glance at his eyes and then his hand on my arm, my face reddening with anger. He releases my arm.

"I was hoping you would like to go for a drink tonight?"

"I have plans with my boyfriend," I spit out, annoyed and a bit angered. I walk quickly away and feel his eyes staring at the back of my head. As I go through the cafeteria door I take a glance back at Craig and he is still standing by the trash can watching me.

* * *

I'm so excited. Edward and I are on our way to Alice's tonight for a party and treasure hunt. Edward says Alice loves to put on parties and plan games. He told me it's sure to be a unique treasure hunt.

Edward pulls up to Alice's house and gets out of the car and walks around to open my door. I get out and look up at her beautiful log cabin home with so many windows in it. It's simply gorgeous both the house and the wooded setting it's in. As we walk up the path, we hear talking from around the back of the house and make our way out there. Alice spots us first and walks halfway down the path to meet us.

"Bella, Edward. I'm so glad you made it!" Alice gives me a big hug and then hugs Edward.

"I wouldn't miss it," I tell Alice. "A treasure hunt sounds like fun!"

"Oh, it is, Bella. I think you're going to have a lot of fun." Jacob spots us and in a flash, he is by my side.

"Bella!" Jacob gives me a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Edward, hey!" Jacob rushes over to Edward's side and gives him a hug.

"Jacob, buddy, let's not hug. How about a good fist bump next time?" Edward's face is sour. Alice and I laugh as Jacob's face flushes.

"Come see everyone else," Alice says as she grabs Jacob's hand in hers and they trot down the path hand in hand. "It looks like they are officially a couple," I whisper to Edward as he grabs my hand in his and we follow Alice and Jacob. I see Jacob look back at me and smile and realize it does no good to whisper around vampires.

"Bella, Edward, hello," Esme says as she walks up to us and gives us each a kiss on the cheek. Carlisle, by her side, kisses me on the check and shakes Edward's hand.

"Well it's about time you two got here," Says Jasper as he comes up to us. "Now we're just waiting for Emmett and Rosalie." I feel a sudden flash of cold air brush by me. Emmett and Rosalie appear in front of Jasper.

"What are you talking about, Jasper? We've been here the entire time," Rosalie teases.

"Oh good, Everyone is here. With all the problems we're having trying to stop this coven I thought it would be a good idea for us to forget about our troubles for one night and have some fun. We can talk about our plans for fighting the coven after the treasure hunt. I will explain it again because Bella and Jacob don't know how to play. You team up with a partner and each team gets a set of index cards. On each card is a riddle you must solve and the answer to the riddle is the item you must find in the forest and bring back to me. The first team to find all the correct items wins. Emmett you and Rosalie can team up, Bella you and Edward, Jacob and Jasper, and Esme and Carlisle."

Alice passes the index cards out to each team. "You have to be honorable and not look at the next index card until you have solved the riddle on the first one and located the item. You have 1 hour to get all the items and bring them back here. The first team back with all the correct items wins. You can start, now!" I see a bunch of blurs as the other couples race off into the woods. Edward stays by my side and flips over the index card with the number 1 written on it's back. The other cards he sticks in his front jacket pocket. I stand next to Edward and read the card with him.

" _Nothing can see me when I use weed from my home. I may be cranky but I'm bigger than my cousin and spider-like in looks_ ," I read out loud. Edward and I are silent for a moment, both thinking as we stroll into the woods and think about our riddle.

"Cranky reminds me of crabs, but I don't understand any of the other clues," I say.

"Crabs... Weed from my home. A crab's home is the sea. Seaweed! There's a spider crab. It looks like a spider and they camouflage themselves using seaweed. I've seen them on the bottom of the ocean wrapping themselves in seaweed to hide," Edward says.

"Than that's it!" I yell. "But, would Alice give us an item we had to go all the way to the bottom of the ocean to get?"

"That's the whole point of Alice's treasure hunts. To make them interesting and make you work to win. I can fly us to the ocean in a minute. Ready?" Edward asks. I nod and he scoops me up in his arms and before I know it, his wings are out and we are flying high in the sky. We land at the edge of the ocean and Edward sets me down along the shore.

"I will be less than a minute. The water isn't that deep here and I've been down here before and saw plenty of spider crabs. I can't breathe under water so I have to make this fast," Edward says as he starts to remove his clothes.

"Hold up. I'm playing this game too. I want to go with you to get the spider crab. I can hold my breath for one minute," I say.

"Okay. Better take off your clothes if you're coming. We don't want to spend the rest of the night wet."

I look around to make sure we're alone and take off my clothes. When I see Edward's eyes on my body my instinct is to cover myself up with my arms but I remind myself this is the man I love and trust more than anyone and I stand firmly with my head up. Edward walks up to me and puts his arm around me.

"Ready?"

"Yes," I say.

"Signal me if need to take a breath and I will have us up in a fraction of a second," Edward says and then his fire-wings emerge and he lifts me up into the air a couple feet, we fly over the water and submerge rather quickly to the bottom. Edward holds me while he guides us along the ocean floor, his wings now acting as propellers gliding us forward. I'm amazed to see the fire and lightning in his wings even underwater.

I see schools of Angelfish swimming by. Cleaner Shrimp are removing parasites from other fish quite efficiently. There are plenty of crabs also. I spot a spider crab to my left and tap Edward's arm and point to it. He guides us over to it and grabs it in his right hand and quickly shoots us up out of the water and back onto land. Edward looks stunning standing there completely naked and wet with a spider crab in his right hand. Edward sets the spider crab down for a minute and starts getting dressed and looks over to catch me staring at him and smiles. I blush and then get dressed. Edward, fully dressed now, grabs the spider crab again in his hand and holds it up.

"We got it!" I exclaim.

"Now let's take it to Alice's house so we don't have to carry it around with us to get the other things. Will you hold it while I fly us back?"

"Me? Oh no... No, I'm not holding that thing." I walk backward to get away from Edward as he teases me coming closer to me with the spider crab in his hand. I'm not looking where I'm going and trip over a log and start to fall backward. In a flash, Edward is catching me in his left arm, still holding the crab in his right. He laughs.

"I'm sorry I teased you. I can hold you in my left arm and fly and still hold the spider crab in my right hand. Let's get going. We don't have much time to get the rest of the items." Edward picks me up and we fly back to Alice to show her our spider crab.

"You guys are the first team back with your first treasure. Congratulations. I will take him back to the ocean with the others when they all arrive," Alice says as she takes the crab from Edward and places it in a bucket of water.

"Okay, let's read the next card, Edward," I say. Edward pulls the index card labeled 2 out of his pocket and reads.

" _My home has the highest view in the world, but I can't see it yet. My parents are fierce and will defend me and keep me warm. Some times people wonder whether I came first_. Well, birds have a high view."

"And Eagles make their nests in the highest trees! Eagles defend their babies fiercely," I say.

"So what about the last riddle some times people wonder whether I came first," Edward says and we both pause for a minute thinking. Suddenly a vision of a cloud fills my mind. In a second the cloud disperses, leaving a single egg to remain.

"An egg! It's an egg! Which came first the chicken or the egg. So... the answer is an Eagle's egg!" Edward puts his arms around me and kisses my forehead.

"We've got it. Let's go. I know there are Eagles in these trees," He says and picks me up and we soar into the sky. It's so beautiful up here flying high above the treetops, warm and safe in Edward's arms. For a minute I forget about the game and just enjoy being close to him in such a romantic setting. Staring into each other's eyes as we fly through the sky. I'm not sure what an Eagle's nest looks like so I point out any nest I see and so far Edward says they are all too small to be Eagles. Then we come around a bend in the tree line and I a see a huge nest. I point to it and we fly over to take a closer look. No Eagles are inside the nest so Edward lands onto a large branch just below the nest. I climb onto the branch as well and we lean up to peek inside the nest. As luck would have it there are three unhatched eggs in the nest.

"Edward, I don't want to take a baby from its mother. We can't take those eggs," I say, suddenly realizing what we are about to do.

"We won't. We'll only take an egg if it's unfertilized," Edward says as he picks up an egg in his hand and holds it up to the sky. The silhouette of a baby eagle shows through the egg. Edward places it back into the nest and picks up another egg and holds it up. "See that? No silhouette. This egg is not fertilized. We can take it."

"I'll hold it while you fly us back," I say and take the egg from Edward, cradling it gently in both hands. Edward scoops me up in his arms and flies us back toward Alice's house. As we begin our descent to land, we see Jasper and Jacob on the ground walking toward Alice's. They spot us in the sky and break into a run.

"Oh no, you don't," Edward says as his wings beat hard against the air, pushing us faster through the sky. I hold on tight to the egg as Edward and I race Jasper and Jacob to Alice. When Jasper is about 4 feet from Alice, Edward swoops in and lands directly in front of Jasper, cutting off his path to Alice. I quickly hand Alice the egg and smile in triumphant. Jasper is running too fast to stop and rams into Edward's back, knocking me into Alice and all four of us fall onto a pile on the ground. My egg falls from Alice's hand and cracks open on the ground. Jasper jumps up, helps Alice to stand up, and places his egg in her hand and then turns and gives Edward and me a sarcastic smile.

"That doesn't count, Jasper. Edward and Bella turned their egg in before it cracked so it still counts as turned in," Alice says.

"Fine. Then we will just have to win getting the next treasure before you," Jasper teases Edward and races off with Jacob. Edward pulls out the final card and we read it together.

"I cry but I don't make a sound. I'm thirsty and always in the ground. Deer like to have me around." I think for a moment and then start to walk slowly into the woods. Edward follows me while rereading the index card and thinking.

"What animal cries without sound? Lots of animals make nests in the ground. Rabbits, groundhogs, skunks, fox. Deer get along with many animals." Edward continues talking out loud and thinking while I walk up to a tree and run my hand along its trunk. "Maybe skunks don't make any sound when they..." I pluck an elongated leaf off of a weeping willow tree and turn around to face Edward with a smile. A smile draws across his face.

"You are smarter than all of us combined," Edward says as he walks up to me and grabs my hand. We are not far from Alice so we run, at my speed, back to her and hand in our last treasure. We look around and see no one else back yet.

"You are the first team back. You've won. Congratulations Edward and Bella! Alice walks over to a large Tupperware container she has placed on the ground and reaches inside it and pulls out two bags of Godiva Chocolates and hands a bag to each of us. "Your prizes."

"Thank you, Alice," Edward and I say at the same time.

"Do the others eat chocolate?" I ask. Alice shakes her head.

"I have other prizes if one of them would have won. You don't want to know what," Alice says. I get a chill up my spine and agree. Esme and Carlisle suddenly appear with another leaf from a willow tree. Emmett and Rosalie appear a few minutes after that but they only found two treasures and Jasper and Jacob appear with a skunk. We scream at them to get rid of it and then all laugh hard.


	20. Chapter 20 Going Home

**Fated**

 **Chapter 20**

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Edward is dropping me off at home after a fun night at Alice's house with the treasure hunt. He has some work to do at the police station and I'm ready for bed. He shuts off his car's engine, leans in close to me and kisses me.

"Try to get a good night's sleep tonight. We go after the main vampire and the coven tomorrow. If you need anything, you know I'm only a call away," Edward says.

"I know but I won't need anything. I'm exhausted and am going straight to bed."

"I will be over tomorrow to get you and bring you to Alice's house to meet with the others and plan our attack." Edward places his hand on my thigh and looks into my eyes. " I love you," Edward says and kisses me one last time. I close my eyes and relish in his kiss. His hand on my thigh sends ripples of warm excitement up my body.

"I love you too. Goodnight," I say and then get out of the car and walk up the long path to my house. At the door I stand and turn around and wave as I watch Edward drive away. I'm lost in thought. Thinking about spending such a wonderful day and night with him makes me warm inside. I grasp the doorknob and it turns easily. It's unlocked. I look back out at the street and notice Patty's car is here. She's home earlier than usual. I step inside and close the door behind me and see Patty sitting on the couch drinking with Craig!

"Bella, You're home! I ran into Craig at O'Toole's and we decided to bring the party here! We're drinking Tequila. Come join us! I'm frozen in shock for a second. What is he doing here?

"Hi, Bella, It's nice to see you again," says Craig, again looking at me with that creepy non-blinking stare of his.

"Hi Craig." I look at Patty. "I would love to Patty, but I had a long night and I'm really tired. I'm going to go straight to bed. Will you be sure to lock up everything tonight?"

"Sure, Bella. We'll try to keep things quiet for you. Goodnight," Patty says.

"Goodnight, Bella," Craig says.

"Thanks. Goodnight," I say as I head upstairs. I walk into my room and shut the door firmly behind me. I'm pacing back and forth in my room trying to decide what to do. I'm trying to convince myself that Craig means no harm. He hasn't done anything to me. I just don't like the way he stares at me. Like he's looking into my soul. But I get a bad feeling around him too. Maybe I should call Edward, but what am I going to tell him? That a guy I know from college makes me uneasy the way he looks at me and now he's in my house drinking with Patty? Edward "the cop" would be over here in a second throwing him out of the house with no reason behind it. I can't do that to Patty or to Craig. He really hasn't done anything to me. I think all these vampires are getting to me and I'm getting paranoid. I just need to relax and go to sleep.

I'm in bed trying to fall asleep and I hear Patty and Craig making their way upstairs to her bedroom. I guess he's spending the night. I hop out of bed and push my little dresser over in front of my door, preventing it from being opened. Better safe than sorry.

* * *

I'm having the same dream I have been having since I was 13 years old about a man who shows up in my dream chasing me to my porch and then grabs me and throws me over his shoulder and carries me away. I flop over onto my stomach trying to shake the remnants of the dream from my mind. I lay there quietly, trying to fall back asleep when I hear a voice whispering to me.

"Bella...Bella... You will stay asleep." I recognize this voice. It's the same voice in my head as before. It's Drajor, the main vampire. He thinks I'm sleeping. "Bella... you will sleep deeply until I wake you." I peek one eye open and see a purple hazy cloud around my head. I can feel magick in the air. It's giving me goosebumps and feels like it's sinking into the pores of my skin. "Bella, come to me. I'm waiting for you..." I see him standing in a clearing of trees the same as before. My vision zooms out to show a larger area and I know where he is now. The purple haze disappears and I no longer feel the magick in the room. His link to me is gone.

I jump up out of bed and grab my cell and look at it. It's 8 o'clock am. I call Edward.

"Edward, I was just contacted by the main vampire again. He thought I was sleeping and I think he was trying to hypnotize me to come to him using magick. I know where he is now."

"Are you okay? Is he still trying to contact you?"

"No. He stopped."

"Bella, I'm coming right over," Edward says and hangs up before I can tell him to not rush. I jump out of bed and before I can get dressed, I hear knocking at my front door. He isn't kidding when he says he'll be right over. I quickly dress and trot down the stairs and open the front door. Edward rushes in.

"Are you okay?" He looks around the room in a full cop mentality checking the area.

"Yes. I'm fine, Edward." I give him a peck on the cheek. He realizes he is being paranoid and too protective and bats his eyes at me, embarrassed, and smiles.

"So, what exactly happened?"

"I was lying in bed awake and I heard him talking to me in my head again but also I saw a purple hazy cloud surround my head and I got goosebumps and felt like little ice-cycles were dropping down on my skin. I think it was magick and he was trying to hypnotize me but it didn't work. He told me to stay asleep and come to him and showed me where he is. "

"You didn't feel under his control at all?" I shake my head no. "You probably were able to resist his magick only because we _strengthened our bond_ the other night," Edward says as pushes his eyebrows up and gives me a sexy look.

"You see? We needed to have sex to protect me," I declare proudly and laugh. Edward rolls his eyes and then laughs with me.

"That must be a special ability he picked up from drinking psychic blood." Edward's chin is taught and his jaw tight. His muscular well-framed face shows his anger well. He rubs his finger and thumb along his jawline while contemplating. My gaze briefly trails along his jaw and up his well defined, muscular arms. He looks so sexy when he does that it makes my heart skip a beat. "Why don't we head over to Alice's house and get started on our plans for today. I left my car at work and flew here. Why don't you get ready and then I can fly us to my car. I don't want to leave you alone in case he tries something again."

"He won't try again. He thinks he hypnotized me and is waiting for me. I'll go get ready and grab something to eat while you get the car," I say and give him a kiss.

"Okay. If you're sure. I will be back in less than 15 minutes. If anything else happens, call me and I can fly back in a couple minutes," Edward says and then kisses me goodbye and leaves. I trot up the stairs, brush my hair and teeth and then knock on Patty's bedroom door to tell her I'm leaving. She doesn't answer so I knock again. Still no answer. I slowly open the door hoping I'm not going to see Craig but her bedroom is empty. She's not here. The bed looks slept in so it looks like she spent the night. It's unusual for Patty to be up and out of the house this early when she doesn't have school or work. Patty's right. I really do have to stop being so responsible and cautious all the time. I'm sure she's fine.


	21. Chapter 21 Going After Drajor

**Fated**

 **Chapter 21**

* * *

"Before I go over the strategy for taking down the Sjorginy, Alice needs to tell you, Edward, what she saw in her vision," Jasper says as we all sit in Alice's living room planning our attack on the Sjorginy and Drajor.

"You're not going to like it, Edward," Alice warns. Edward takes a deep breath.

"Alright. Let's hear it, Alice. What did you see in your vision."

"I saw Bella pretending she was hypnotized and going to Drajor. You and I stay hidden and follow her..."

"Absolutely not!" Edward commands and he stands up. The room grows quiet as everyone looks to me. They know I am the only one with a chance of making Edward see reason.

"Edward, Alice saw in her vision that I'm able to get the amulet away from Drajor. That must mean everything works out. As soon as the amulet is away from him, all the special abilities granted to the Sjorginy should be revoked. At that time you and Alice can kill him."

"I'm not putting you in danger, Bella," Edward's voice softens and is pleading. I stand up and walk up to him and look him in the eyes. I place my hands around his waist pulling him closer to me.

"It's the only way. We have no other options and we can't defeat the Sjorginy without getting that amulet away from Drajor. After we attacked them it's only a matter of time before they find where we are and come after us. With all their special powers we don't stand a chance." Edward glances at Carlisle, who nods his head in agreement. "They've found your weakness now and will continue to use that vampire who breaths ice against you," I say. Edward is quiet for a long time as he runs his finger and thumb along his jaw line, deep in thought.

"She's right, Edward. In my vision, I saw the ice vampire with Drajor. He's there just to make sure you get taken out. Bella has to get the amulet to revoke his powers before you can show your face. If you get frozen again, we're all in trouble. Bella, once you get the amulet away from Drajor you have to use your ability to mind-call to Edward and let him know so we can move in. If that doesn't work, scream. This is the only time you can use any of your special abilities. We can't take the chance of you getting drained and sick. Too many things can happen that you are not prepared for." I nod my head in agreement with Alice and continue watching Edward's face, waiting for his reply.

"Did you see anything else, Alice?" Edward asks. His voice almost sounds frightened and desperate. He truly does not want me to go there but we have no choice.

"My visions are always in bits and pieces so I can't give you all the details of what happens but I did see Bella remove the amulet from around Drajor's neck. That's all I saw. I'm hoping everything else goes smoothly and removing the amulet breaks all special abilities of the vampires so we're able to kill them all. If not, we'll have to retreat and come up with another plan."

"Alright, but Bella's safety is our main concern. If anything goes wrong or looks like he may hurt you, Bella, call out to me and we attack right away! Let's hear the rest of the plan," Edward says as we both sit down once again. Jasper stands up and walks to the middle of the room. He looks at each of us as he gives instructions.

"As we have already said, Bella is going to pretend to be hypnotized and go to Drajor." Jasper turns to look at me. "When you are hypnotized you concentrate upon only the task you are hypnotized for, so walk like you have a purpose and act like you are sleep-walking. No emotions. Walk straight up to Drajor and only speak when he speaks to you to answer his questions. He is using the amulet to hypnotize so if he waves his hand in front of it or takes it off or interacts with it in any way he is most likely removing the spell so you can act normal then. You will have to use your judgment as to when that may be. Take your time and wait until you are close to him before you try to take the amulet off of his neck. You only have one shot at this. The good news is he wants your special abilities so he isn't going to quickly jump on you and drain your blood. He's not going to want to waste a drop of it so he will have a bucket or something to drain it into before he attacks you. Keep your eyes open for any signs of his attacking you and call out to Edward if it looks like he is going to attack. If Edward does not respond to your mind-call, then scream. There is a good chance Drajor can read your mind as you get closer to him so do not think about our plan. Only think of him and make everything else in your mind go blank. If you don't get the amulet and Edward and Alice need to come in to save you, forget the amulet and Drajor and just get out!"

Jasper looks around at everyone again. "The priority is to get Bella out safely. We don't know how many vampires are going to be with Drajor, so Edward and Alice, you may have to fight a lot. If Bella cannot get the amulet, just take her and run. Don't try to fight them."

"That's why I want to go with them. They may need more help," says Jacob as he looks at Jasper.

"I'm sorry you can't. You are still a newborn and Drajor will be able to smell you coming a mile away. Edward and Alice have already mastered how to conceal their smell to other vampires. What you can do is stay at least 1 mile away and keep available if Edward, Alice or Bella should need you they can call you and you can run there. If you came with us, the boat ride back would slow you down so just hide out somewhere and wait until you are called."

Jacob nods his head in agreement. "Sounds good."

"All the rest of us will be hiding nearby the rest of the vampires waiting for Edward to call and give us the signal to attack. We have already borrowed Charlie's boat again and are ready to go. Bella, I want you to show us all exactly where Drajor is. We should all know the location just in case," Jasper says as he points to a map lying on the coffee table. We all gather around and I point out the approximate area of where I believe Drajor is. Jasper marks it with a red marker and asks everyone to look at it and memorize it.

* * *

I didn't realize it would be this difficult to not think about our plan while I'm walking alone in the woods, heading towards Drajor. I'm trying to keep my mind blank but at the same time, I have to look around to recognize the layout of the trees to determine which way Drajor is. I'm trying to not think about my mission or Edward and Alice following behind me.

My heart is beating fast in my chest and I feel like my adrenaline pumping through my veins has me on high alert. I see a large weeping willow tree coming up on my right. In my vision, I saw Drajor just beyond that. I try to calm my breathing as I pass the willow tree and head toward a clearing in the trees. I spot Drajor standing in the middle of the clearing with the sun shining brightly upon him, his skin sparkles like diamonds in the sunlight. He is quite a remarkable and beautiful sight. He starts walking toward me.

"Bella, you did well," Drajor says as he takes my hand and leads me to the middle of the clearing. I'm quiet and acting hypnotized. He turns to face me, still holding my right hand in his. "I could just take your blood while you are hypnotized but what fun would that be," he says and then grasps the amulet that hangs from a leather strap around his neck, in his right hand and holds it up toward my face. Purple light shines out from its center and hits me in the middle of my forehead, between my eyes. I feel a tingling sensation on my skin and realize this may be the only opportunity I have of getting that amulet from him. I reach out and grab the amulet in both hands and tug hard. The thin leather strap breaks from around his neck and I pull the amulet free from his hand. I know if I run he will chase me and catch me quick so I face him and slowly back away with the amulet in my hand, trying to stall him while I concentrate on mind-calling Edward. It's not happening as fast as I hoped and realize I should have practiced. Drajor takes a few steps toward me.

"Now what do you think you are going to do with that? You are really in no position to disobey me. Hand it over, now!" Drajor says as he slowly walks toward me. I am taking steps backward while screaming in my head for Edward. I cannot find a connection to him.

"You are going to give me very powerful abilities, Bella. For that I am thankful, but running from me is pointless."

"Edward!" I scream out loud. Drajor throws his head back and laughs maniacally.

"Did you think I was going to allow Edward and Alice to just follow you into the woods to save you and steal my amulet?"

"What have you done to them?" I scream while still walking backward. I've walked out of the clearing and am backing into the woods. I trip on a tree root and fall onto my back. Drajor steps up close and looks down at me, laughing. He holds his finger out as I watch his nail suddenly grow into a large, sharp point. He takes a small metal bowl out of his jacket pocket.

"This will only hurt for a moment," he says as he begins to bend down over top of me. I hear the clang of metal and a sloshing sound and Drajor's head rolls off of his body and onto the ground by my feet. Then his body falls to the ground and Craig is in his place, standing with a bloody, long sword in his hand. He holds his other hand out to me. I take it and he helps me rise.

"Craig. What are you doing here?" I'm confused and am not sure if I should be happy or worried that Craig just saved my life.

"No time for questions, Bella. There are other vampires from that coven around here. We have to move fast. Do I have your permission to pick you up so I can run fast with you to get us far from here?"

"I. I...don't know. Edward and Alice are supposed to be following me. I don't know where they are." I am looking around for Edward and Alice and wondering what happened to them.

"I don't know where they are, Bella, but we have to get out of here. We can figure out what happened to them later after we get somewhere safe. Can I hold that to keep it safe while we run?" Craig says and motions to the amulet in my hand. I hesitate and then hand it over to him. He picks me up and starts running. He is moving so fast I cannot make sense of anything I see going by me and have to close my eyes to keep from getting dizzy.


	22. Chapter 22 Dragon Queen

**Fated**

 **Chapter 22**

 **Dragon Queen**

* * *

It's so dark I can hardly see anything. I hear the sound of ocean waves splashing against rocks just outside. A cold breeze blowing across my body is making me shiver. As my eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, I see rocks on the floor and walls. I think I'm in a cave, but where is Craig and why did he leave me here all alone? I feel a cold breeze brush past me and see a moving blur. Craig is now squatting down in the back corner of the cave holding small sticks and dried leaves in his arms. He drops the sticks on the floor in a pile and then places the leaves in another pile. He grabs two sticks and quickly rubs them together. When they begin to smoke he lights the leaves on fire and places his kindling over it in a teepee shape.

I close my eyes and try to connect to Edward for a few minutes. It's not happening as easily as it did last time. I feel no connection and see no cloud forming in front of me. I try to push my thoughts out into the world and scream for Edward inside my head. There is nothing still. I take my cell phone out of my jeans pocket and dial his number. No answer. I try Alice's number. Also no answer. I take a deep breath steadying my anxiety and decide to concentrate upon Craig for now. Maybe he can help me figure out where Edward and Alice are and why I can't contact them.

Craig stands up and looks at me, around his neck lies the amulet. "Bella come over by the fire. It's cold in this cave." My mind is racing in so many different directions and I have so many questions for Craig, I don't know what to ask first. I walk over to him, the fire warming my body.

"Craig, what's going on? Thank you for rescuing me, but what were you doing there? Were you following me? I take a deep breath and try to calm myself so I can think clearly. "You're obviously a vampire because of your fast running..."

"No. I'm an Original," Craig says.

"Do you know where Edward and Alice are?"

"Edward and Alice are somewhere safe. I saw Drajor put them in a trance, as he did to all your friends," says Craig.

"But I took the amulet away from Drajor. All of their special abilities should have been removed," I say.

"The way the amulet works is by energizing psychic's blood and then when a creature drinks that amulet-charged, psychic-blood, they will gain all that person's abilities. All abilities gained and used from the amulet cannot be revoked until someone else takes claim of the amulet, by wearing it, and orders the amulet to remove all abilities and effects from those abilities. Only certain people can lay claim upon the amulet. You must be of a strong, psychic bloodline," Craig explains.

"So, we have to find the right person to wield the amulet to save Edward and Alice?"

"My bloodline is an ancient one in which some of the strongest psychics have been born. I have taken claim of the amulet and now control it."

"That's great!" I exclaim. "Can you release them now, please?"

"Not just yet, Bella. There are some things we need to talk about and I prefer that we talk without interruption," Craig says. His voice takes on a serious tone. He turns his back to me and takes a few steps away while he talks.

"I have been trying to befriend you, Bella, but you just wouldn't accept me. I was hoping to take some time to get to know you..." Craig begins pacing back and forth in a small area as he talks. "I've been watching you for years. You and Charlie make such a happy little family just the two of you. He is a good father to you. Taking care of you, protecting you, being a friend to you. You don't know how lucky you are. Some of us have to grow up without a father and mother. All alone."

"What do you mean you have been watching me? Who are you, Craig? What do you want?" I'm starting to get a bad feeling in my gut and goosebumps are rising on my arms.

"While you spent your childhood having fun in school and playing soccer in the yard with Charlie after school, I spent my childhood living in the forest, hiding from the people who killed my mother and trying to figure out what I was. I had no one and no home. We lived in Romania in a small town where my mother gave birth to me in her cottage in the woods. When I was 10 years old, the people in the village discovered she was a dragon and killed her late one night while we were sleeping. She never harmed anyone. She was a midwife to the village women and a good person. They killed her out of fear. I escaped into the surrounding woods and made my way to America."

"What does your story have to do with me, Craig? I don't understand."

"I'm getting to that. Before my mother died, she told me about my father and told me I could never go to him because he wouldn't understand what she was and what I am. She never told him she was a dragon. She never even told him that she was pregnant. She left him in the middle of the night and never returned. When my mother died, I wanted to go to my father so many times, but I couldn't. My mother said he would never understand or accept me. So instead I spent years alone confused by what I was until I met others like me who explained things to me and helped me learn about what I was. I spent much time watching you and Charlie too. Then I met this dragon. He sensed my strong abilities and told me he has been looking for a female mate with equally strong abilities but they were hard to find. He said he had to wait until such a female performs a great power and he will be able to sense that power and track her. I told him about the power I sensed in you and he was very interested. He promised me if I brought you to him once your abilities grew into great powers, he would marry you and together both of us could rule the world by his side. The plan was for me to watch you grow in power and report back to him when you achieved high-level abilities but Drajor ruined that plan when he forced me to kill him and expose myself to you."

"Craig, you are out of your mind! I'm not going anywhere with you and I'm not going to any dragon. I am in love with Edward! You need to tell this dragon to forget it. I'm not going anywhere! Please, just tell him you made a mistake and I don't have the abilities you thought I did."

"This dragon is set on you, Bella, and besides he already knows you will have great powers."

"How can he know what my powers are going to be? Edward said we have to wait and see what develops."

"Because he has already seen those great powers develop in your family lineage, through me. I'm your brother, Bella."

I'm stunned. I am just standing here staring at Craig with my mouth open. I'm frozen in place, unable to speak.

"Before Charlie met your mother, he fell in love with my mother. They were both very young. My mother found out Charlie was part of a secret underground devoted to killing dragons that kidnap people from psychic families such as ours. Because of his prejudice against dragons, my mother was afraid to tell him about herself and when she found out she was pregnant, she left in the middle of the night fearing if he found out what she was, he may kill her and her baby. Bella, I've watched you and Charlie live so happily together as a family while I was alone in the world, wishing I was you. You've gotten everything and I had nothing! Now, I have a chance to have everything made up to me. To finally get a power great enough that I can rule the world, along with you and the dragon, of course. First thing we will do is go back to Romania and torch the entire village including all the people and vampires that live there. Then, we will conquer the world!"

"No, Craig. I'm not doing any such thing. I'm not going anywhere. This is insane. I have no way to know if you're lying or telling the truth."

"But you do, Bella. You have the ability to see events from my past. All you have to do is touch my face." Craig walks up to me and grabs my hand. I hesitate for a second and then allow him to place my hand upon his face. I close my eyes and allow the cloud to form in my mind. As the cloud begins to clear I see a beautiful brunette with sparkling blue eyes. What an unusual combination. She is walking across a room. I can see a baby in her belly. The vision shows me this similar to what an ultrasound would show. She walks up to a man and leans in close to him and kisses him. As the vision moves in closer, I see the man that she is kissing is Charlie. I shake my head and clear the vision from my sight. I look up at Craig and for the first time, I notice he has Charlie's nose and eyebrows. I know he's telling me the truth.

"Did you see, Bella?" I nod my head. "You're my brother! Charlie doesn't even know he has another child."

"No, he doesn't. I was too afraid to go to him. My mother said he would hunt me down and kill me. He and his dragon hunter friends are quite formidable."

"Charlie would never do that, Craig. I don't know about him being a dragon hunter. He may have a secret life that he never told me about, but he would never kill his own child."

"It doesn't matter now, Bella. What's important is that we get you to Medoff the dragon. He's the strongest creature alive and has more riches than you can imagine. Once he makes you his queen, we will both rule by his side. The world will be ours!"

"No, Craig. I'm not going with you. I want nothing to do with Medoff. I'm in love with Edward and happy with my life here."

"Bella, I'm not asking. You owe me this much and this you will do! I told him you would accept your fate as his queen so you had better accept this and be happy when we get there!" Craig grabs my right arm in his hand and squeezes it. I wrestle to try to free myself.

"Let me go!" I swing my left arm around and punch him in the face. He reaches into my jeans pocket and takes my cell and throws it against the cave wall. It falls to the floor in pieces.

"Shut up and look," Craig orders as he takes his cell phone out of his pants pocket and holds it up to my face. On the cell phone is a video of Patty lying on a bed fast asleep. I stop fighting immediately. Tears begin to well up in my eyes as I look into Craig's eyes, which suddenly take on a cold, uncaring hue.

"She is not harmed. She is just in a deep sleep. Do as I say or she dies," he says.

"You're evil," I say, quietly defeated.

"Call me what you want but I will not allow you to screw up my plans for ruling the world with this dragon. If you do what I say Patty will be returned home to her bed and will be unaware of anything happening to her. Refuse me and she dies and then I go after everyone you love, including Charlie. He may be a great dragon hunter but he is no match for this dragon."

* * *

A/N: I split this scene up into 2 chapters because it was getting long and I wanted to put out what I have so far. When I finish the rest I will put it up as chapter 23. Thank you for everyone leaving me such wonderful reviews. I have learned a lot from them and appreciate my viewers taking time to leave me feedback!


	23. Chapter 23 The Unknown Son

I stare directly into Craig's unblinking eyes with fury in mine. "You may be able to force me to go to this dragon and marry him, but I will never love him or stay with him. I will eventually escape and find my way back to Edward." Craig grabs me by the top of my arms and picks me up into the air, holds me tight and squeezes. I flinch from the pain.

"I told Medoff you would be happy to be his wife. I don't care what you have to do to accept this as your fate but you had better accept it quickly and pretend to be happy. When you meet him you will be on your best behavior or I will have Patty and Charlie killed immediately." His icy words send a chill down my spine. He then drops me to the ground.

"Once you cooperate and play nice I will have my friend put Patty in her bed and give her the antidote to wake up. She will not know anything happened. Edward, I'm afraid, has to die. Medoff will probably kill all of your vampire and original friends so they will not be able to rescue you. But as long as you do as you are told, Charlie and Patty will live. I promise you that."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. I have to think of a way out of this and save everyone. If I can find Edward maybe I can figure out a way to break his trance. I start to slowly walk backwards toward the cave entrance. I spin around and begin to run, willing my legs to push themselves harder than they have ever run before. I hear Craig's laughter echoing off the cave walls as I run through the cave opening into the woods outside. My eyes not adjusted to the sunlight, I place my hand above my eyes, shielding them from the bright rays of the sun. Through squinted eyes I see a path leading down a steep hill and I run in that direction.

I think about how I teleported us all when we were in danger and try to remember how I did it. I focus as best I can while running but I can't concentrate. My arms I keep in front of my face shielding it from the onslaught of branches, twigs and leaves as I race through the trees. I turn my head to look behind me and run straight into something that hits me hard and knocks me backward to the ground, knocking the wind out of me. As I catch my breath and lean up on my arms I look up at Craig standing in front of me. He bends down, grabs my left arm in his right hand and pulls me to my feet roughly.

"Stop this, Bella. It's ridiculous to think you can outrun me."

I try to yank my arm out of his grasp but he is holding on tight. My mind racing with thoughts set on escape, I bring my knee up fast and hit him square in the genitals. He releases my arm as he falls to the ground moaning. I run past him through the trees. I feel a strong breeze pass me and suddenly Craig stands directly in front of me. I stumble trying to slow down and land directly in front of him. With his jaw tight and his teeth clenched, he reaches out and backhands me across the face sending me sprawling to the forest floor. He takes another step toward me...

"That's enough!" I hear from a masculine voice behind Craig. As Craig turns around I look past him and see Charlie standing at the base of a large oak tree about 30 feet ahead of us. From his left hand dangles a compound bow. A quiver of arrows on his back.

"You don't want to make this more complicated than it has to be, Charlie," Craig yells.

"Step away from Bella, Craig. She's not going anywhere with you," Charlie says.

Craig lets out a deep, maniacal laugh. "So you say, Charlie? I guess you're going to stop me?" Craig turns back toward me, reaches down and grabs a handful of my hair and drags me along the ground toward Charlie. I dig my fingernails into his skin on his hand that is clenching my hair and kick my feet trying to break free as he drags me along effortlessly, his concentration upon Charlie.

"Let her go," Charlie orders.

"Charlie be careful," I warn. "Craig's dangerous." Craig releases me and I stand facing Charlie.

"I know, Bella. I know everything," Charlie says. I tilt my head and furrow my brows looking confused and Charlie explains. "I have the same abilities as you, Bella. I saw your discussion with Craig in my head. I know he's my son and he's trying to take you to Medoff." Charlie then turns toward Craig, who is watching us talk with amusement on his face. "You don't have to do this, Craig. We can all fight Medoff together and you can get to know me and Bella. Become part of our family."

Craig laughs. "You say that now and then will kill me as soon as you get a chance. My mother warned me that you will kill me."

"If I had known I had a son I would have loved you and cared for you as much as I do Bella. I loved your mother," Charlie says.

"You loved her but you would have killed her if you found out she was a dragon. You're one of the great dragon hunters."

"I killed dragons that they preyed upon our family and other families like ours for generations. It was to protect my family. I would have never harmed your mother or you. I'm sorry you grew up alone. I wish you didn't have to go through that, but kidnapping Bella and taking her away is not the answer."

"You know nothing about me, Charlie. Bella will do this or Patty and you will die!"

"I can't let you take Bella, Craig," Charlie tightens his grip on the compound bow, readying himself to raise it quickly when needed.

"Are you threatening me, Charlie? That means Patty will die. All I have to do is make one phone call and she dies," Craig says.

Charlie shakes his head. "Patty was awoken and was freed 30 minutes ago. In my vision, I saw Patty and the others in trances. In my workroom I created a specialized antidote and brought some with me. I found Jacob in a trance on my way here. After I freed him he left to track Patty down and rescue her. I got a text from him a few minutes ago letting me know she is safe. Your friend is probably dead. Now, walk away Craig. Don't make me hurt you."

Craig screams in a rage so loud the birds in the treetops fly away in such numbers it blocks out the sun for a minute. Charlie slowly raises the bow, aiming at Craig. In a flash, Craig runs into the woods to the right of me and disappears. In another second he races up behind Charlie, picks him up in the air and throws him. The bow and arrow fall to the ground while Charlie lands on his back with a thud about 10 feet from me. Craig walks toward Charlie and picks him up off the ground by his neck, holding him the air. I race toward them and begin beating my fists against Craig's back. I look back at the bow and arrow on the ground. It's too far away. Charlie would be strangled before I could get it, aim and shoot Craig. I climb onto Craig's back like a monkey and reach around and pull the amulet from around his neck, up over his head and back away with it. Craig puts Charlie down and turns around to face me as I continue to slowly back away. He slowly walks toward me with his hand out.

"Give it back, Bella."

I see Charlie run back to the bow and arrow and aim at Craig. I don't want Charlie to kill his only son because he has to rescue me. I wonder if there is a way to save Craig. Maybe he will see reason if we continue to talk to him. I bet there has to be some good in him. If we can just reach it.

"Please everyone just stop for a minute. Let's all just talk for one minute and not do anything rash," I say hoping Charlie understands I don't want him to shoot Craig unless he has to. Craig stops advancing toward me but Charlie still has his bow and arrow aimed and ready to fire.

"Charlie, please put the bow down." Craig quickly turns his head back toward Charlie and sees him lowering the bow.

"That won't work on me anyway, Charlie," Craig says.

"The arrow is White Oak, Craig. It will kill you," Charlie says.

Craig turns back toward me again and says quietly "Stop this ridiculousness and give me the amulet or I will kill Charlie right now." His teeth are clenched together and his face looks strained. I shake my head. Craig races over to Charlie so fast Charlie doesn't have time to raise the bow. Craig grabs it and throws it far into the woods. He puts Charlie in a headlock and begins to squeeze.

"Give me the amulet, Bella. Now!"

My vision begins to cloud over. As I focus, a quick vision pops into my head of me placing the amulet around my neck. I look down at the amulet hanging from my hand and hope my vision is guiding me toward a way to save us all. I raise the amulet up, grab it with both hands and place it over my head.

"Nooooo!" Craig screams as he releases Charlie and races toward me. The amulet falls around my neck settling between my breasts. As Craig comes to within three feet of me, the amulet projects a purple light from it's center shining outward. The light settles upon Craig as he reaches out to grab the amulet, a cold, hard, evil in his eyes. The purple light engulfs him. He is frozen for a second and I watch in horror as the purple light disintegrates Craig's body into little pieces which float up to the sky as if ash. I fall to my knees in a bitter-sweet agony. Charlie and I are saved, but I just lost my chance to get to know my only brother I didn't know I had until today.


	24. Chapter 24 The Fight For Freedom

**Fated**

 **Chapter 24**

 **The Fight for Freedom**

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for everyone's patience. My injuries are healed but I'm still having health issues so it's going slow. I want to thank you all for your patience and understanding in my slow updates.**

* * *

"Dad, I'm sorry." I cry out with my face in my hands.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Bella," Charlie says as he kneels beside me and wraps his arms around me. I take my hands away from my face and look into his eyes.

"I should have found a way to save him. I should not have listened to my vision."

"Craig was evil, Bells. If you had a vision to place the amulet around your neck that means you needed to listen to it. The amulet protected you and saved both you and I. There's one thing I have learned from being psychic and that is to always trust your abilities." Charlie studies my face for a moment with a look of sympathy in his eyes. "Look, Craig's mom. I cared for her, but there was always something about her that put me off. As I began to get to know her I saw sides of her that were dark. Many dragons turn evil because they cannot handle that much raw power. It's too much temptation for them. She may have told Craig that she left me because she was worried I would kill them, but the day she left I found out a family in town was murdered. When I went to the scene it was a classic dragon killing. When I came home after that and found her gone I had my suspicions it was her. She was evil.

Craig was evil like his mother. There is nothing you or I could have done to change him. His mind was set. I nod my head and realize there was no way we could have saved Craig. He was a danger to us all and there is still an even greater danger coming after us soon.

"Come on. We have more work to do." Charlie grabs me by my elbows and helps me stand. I wipe the tears from my eyes and look toward the woods in the direction of Charlie's bow and arrows and begin walking with Charlie walking by my side.

"We need to contact Jacob since he's the only one awake," I say.

"We need to go back to my house first, Bella. I have more potion there so we can free the others when we find them." Charlie stops walking abruptly and looks at me.

"What is it?"

"Craig said the magick that is keeping them all in a trance can be removed when the true owner of the amulet takes possession of it and orders it to remove all magick previously created." Charlie lifts his eyebrows as a slight smile crosses over his lips. His head lowers as he looks at the amulet hanging around my neck. "By the way it protected you, I would say that you are the true owner," Charlie says in a soft, but definite tone.

"But I don't know what to do!" I whisper back.

"Close your eyes, Bells." I do as Charlie instructs. "Take a deep breath and try to picture Edward. Now, call to the amulet to release him. Do you notice anything?" I do as Charlie says but feel and see nothing. I shake my head no and sigh.

"All I can think about is Patty. I don't think I can concentrate on anything until I know she's safe. Can we go to my place and check on her? Maybe Jacob will be there waiting for us."

"That's a good idea. Maybe he is there or will know to go there to look for us. Let's get the bow and arrows and head to your house."

We trek through the woods and find Charlie's bow and arrows and then Charlie shows me the way toward his car.

* * *

I'm so worried about Patty that the walk up the long path to my front door seems like it's taking forever. I unlock the door and Charlie and I walk inside. No sign of Patty downstairs.

"I'm going upstairs to check Patty's bedroom," I yell as I race up the stairs. I find Patty sleeping peacefully in her bed. The rise and fall of her chest tell me she's breathing. With a sigh of relief, I trot back downstairs to Charlie.

"She's sleeping."

"Good. That's one worry gone. Now we have to figure out what to do next. I need to go home to get more potion to wake everyone from their trance. Now that you've checked on Patty I would like you to come with me and then we can look for Jacob." Charlie turns and begins to walk toward the door. He stops when he notices I'm not following him and turns around to look at me.

"I should stay here and wait for Jacob to show. That way I can keep an eye on Patty. I want to wake her and make sure she's okay before leaving her again." Charlie takes a few long strides toward me, worry in his eyes.

"Bells, It could be dangerous if that dragon comes."

"Craig said it was several days travel to get to the dragon so we have time before he gets here." I place my hand gently on Charlie's arm. "I'm not helpless. I've found out through all this that I'm fairly good at getting myself out of trouble, I'm a good problem solver, and the amulet will protect me. I want to stay here and try to use the amulet to free everyone from their trance but you need to get more potion in case I'm unable to do it. We don't know where Jacob is or if he is going to show up so I also have to try to locate everyone so we can find them and free them from their trance before the dragon gets here. For the sake of time, we need to separate just for a bit. Get the potion and come back, but hurry." Charlie smiles as pride washes across his face.

"You're not my little girl anymore, Bella. I'm proud of you." He leans in and gives my forehead a quick kiss, then turns and walks out the door. "I will be back soon."

* * *

I race upstairs once again to check on Patty. This time I lean down and grab her by the arm and shake her a bit. "Patty. Patty." I shake her a little harder. She begins to stir. "Patty!" Her eyelids open and Patty stares up at me blinking, attempting to focus.

"Bella? What's going on?" Patty sits up in bed and looks around. She looks groggy but fine.

"How do you feel, Patty?"

"Not so good. I've got a headache and feel like I'm coming down with something. I'm a little dizzy and fatigued."

"Maybe you should stay in bed then. Do you want me to get you some orange juice or something to eat.?"

"No. I'm going to keep sleeping for a while." Patty lies back down, closes her eyes and drifts back into sleep.

I trot downstairs and sit on the couch. I close my eyes and try to picture Edward again but the vision is fuzzy and the details absent. No cloud appears either. I try to picture Alice. Still no luck. If we can't get ahold of Jacob, we won't be able to find Edward and the others to free them. I have to get the amulet to free them or use my abilities to show me where they are so we can free them with the potion, and we still have to make a plan to prepare for the dragon coming.

All this pressure and mind chatter is only making me more frustrated which is interfering with my concentration. I'm going to go for a quick jog. That always helps me relax my mind. I head out the door and down the long steps to the sidewalk.

As I'm jogging down the sidewalk I'm trying to clear my mind. I look up at the beautiful full moon and stars shining bright in the sky and take in a deep breath of fresh air. My muscles are beginning to relax and my tensions ease. I let my eyes wander over my neighbor's houses and yards. I watch the tall trees sway in the breeze. I can smell the rain that will come soon. I jog only about 5 blocks down and then turn back toward home. My jog slowed down to a walk, my senses begin to perk. I feel the moist air caressing my skin and smell the cool freshness that a rainstorm will bring. I think of Edward and focus on the details of his face. His sharp, well-chiseled chin and soft wavy hair. His beautiful, lush lips. That gorgeous red ember glow that fills his skin during his times of transformation, and those beautiful eyes with a sparkle of a flame I catch once in a while. I'm picturing him clearly in my mind. I try to picture the amulet sending out it's purple light to Edward releasing him of his bonds. I envision everyone being broken from their trances as the purple amulet light glides over their bodies. I peek down at my amulet hoping to see purple light emanating from it but there is nothing.

I stop walking and close my eyes to concentrate on my vision. I can see the purple light floating in the air, spreading across everyone. I say in my head "Free them. Free them all." I feel a tingling numbness spread over my body for a few seconds but then it's gone. My vision fades. I try to reach out again and envision Edward but there is nothing but blackness. An uneasy feeling grows in my gut as goosebumps rise across my arms. I open my eyes and find I've walked off the sidewalk.

I'm standing in the middle of the street. Fear begins to run down my spine. Panic rises in my chest. I look in every direction, not sure what I'm sensing. Then I spot him. Two city blocks down, standing in the middle of the street, facing my direction. I cannot see his eyes, but I can feel him staring straight through me. A motionless, black silhouette. Tall, muscular, and daunting. His silhouette suggests a uniform and a hat with a straight rim. Oh my God, it's my dream happening! The dream wasn't about Edward like I thought all this time. It was about him!

I'm frozen. Unable to move or breathe. I don't know for how long. My heart thumps loudly inside my chest. My eyes are locked upon him, unable to look away. I scream inside my head. "Run! He's going to get you! Run!" But my body doesn't respond.

I stand here praying he will not come close. If I stay frozen, maybe he will walk away. I listen to my heart beat silently in the night and realize all the insects have grown quiet. The entire street is silent.

Suddenly, he bolts into a fast gallop towards me. It isn't a walk. It isn't a run. It's much faster. The shock of his unnaturally fast movement causes me to take a good minute to convince my body to unfreeze and run. When I finally do move, I run faster than I ever have in my life.

I hit the first of a long set of steps up the front walk to my house, in just seconds. Too afraid to look back, I keep running. I finally make it to the top step. My heart is pounding loud and fast. I have my right foot on the porch, my left foot still on the top step. As I pick up my left foot, I feel a strong hand grasp my ankle, locking tight around it. I look back. The man has hold of me. I cannot see the details of his face, they are lost in a dark shadow. My amulet lights up and a purple beam shoots out and settles itself around the man. He closes his eyes and his body lights up with a burning, red ember glow just like Edward's body. A red light emanates from his body and acts as a shield pushing the purple light from my amulet away. He's protected from it.

He begins to slowly pull me down the steps by my ankle, one step at a time. I grasp onto the porch railing, my fingers locking tightly around the spindle. A couple more tugs on my ankle and my hands are ripped free. Now I am being picked up and placed over his shoulder. I feel warmth between our two bodies, as mine presses up against his. His body feels unnaturally hot. How did he get here so quick? He must have been traveling here this entire time. Not waiting for Craig to bring me to him. Why did I tell Charlie to go without me?

"Let me go!" I scream while pounding my fists against his back. He doesn't break his stride. As he walks past a tree I grab onto a large branch and hang on tight. He looks back at me, a hint of amusement on his face. He sets me down and gives the branch one quick karate chop with his hand and it splits off from the tree. I'm left standing on the ground holding a large branch in my arms.

"It's no use fighting. It won't do you any good," he says.

"I'm not going with you!" I swing the branch at him. He grabs it in one hand and crushes it to powder which falls between his fingers to the ground. I begin to run back toward my house.

"Why must you insist on wasting my time!" he growls from behind me. I keep running as fast as I can. I start running up the steps to my front door and he lands from the sky directly in front of my door blocking my path. I abruptly stop leaving a 3-foot gap between us. "Bella, stop this silliness. You can't outrun me."

"I can try," I say, determined to fight him to the end. I won't give up. I look from left to right searching for somewhere to run to or something to fight with. I jump off of the path and onto the grassy hill and begin running back down toward the sidewalk. I'm halfway down when I trip over my own feet and tumble to the ground rolling downhill. I land face down on the sidewalk covered in grass and dirt. I'm sure I look worse than I feel.

"Bella, are you okay?" I hear Mrs. Fallin yell from across the street. She is a sweet older widow who lives by herself. I look up at her and quickly turn my head looking for Medoff. He is standing next to me. He bends down and grabs my arms and lifts me to my feet. I stare at Mrs. Fallin wondering what to do.

"You don't want to say something that will get her killed, now do you? Medoff whispers in my ear. I shake my head no.

"I'm fine Mrs. Fallin." I wrestle one arm free from Medoff and wave to reassure her. She grabs her cat which is sitting on her porch and goes inside. I take a deep breath, rethinking my strategy. Medoff looks around.

"Let's go around back, shall we? We don't need any of your neighbors seeing us take off in flight, now do we?" He pulls me toward the back of the house.

"I won't stay with you. I will never love you. I won't give you any of my power. You're wasting your time with me!"

"You will stay with me and you will do everything I say because if you don't I will kill Charlie and Patty. That is your roommate's name, correct?" I look up at him with hate on my face as he continues to pull me around the back of the house.

"Then I will kill you! I will find a way." Medoff laughs loudly and menacingly.

"I would like to see you try! I think that would be entertaining."

"You think I'm not dangerous but you don't know what I can do."

"To the contrary, Bella. I think you are very dangerous. You will become quite a powerful psychic. That's why I chose you. But do not make the mistake of thinking you can disobey me. When we are wed, our powers and our lives will be tied together. You will not be able to kill me without killing yourself. There is no way out of this so you may as well get used to it now."

Medoff removes his shirt and tosses it to the ground. He grabs my other arm and I feel my feet lift off the ground as we soar high into the air.

* * *

I look down at my home and try to not feel hopeless. I know I can find a way out of this. After about 20 minutes of flying, Medoff lets out a growl and dives down lower in the sky as he searches the ground. I stare into the forest below us for a minute and then I spot a blur moving as fast as we are but on the ground. I squint my eyes to focus and see the blur is Jacob. He found us!

"Jacob!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

"Oh is that who that is? The newborn? Medoff growls. "Well we can take care of him now," he says as he dives quickly. He places me on the ground. "Don't worry my dear, this shouldn't take long at all," He says as he looks around. "Now, where is that newborn?"

I feel a blast of air pass by me and notice Medoff is no longer by my side. I hear a loud crack to my right and turn around. Jacob has run Medoff into a large, thick oak tree, embedding him halfway into the truck and then disappeared into the woods. Medoff's face turns hardened.

"Nice hit, newborn. But now it's my turn. Come out and face me!" he screams. He stands very still listening for Jacob, who is silent. I see a flash coming from the left toward Medoff. As Jacob nears Medoff, he goes into a slide and quickly glides past Medoff, jamming a broken branch into Medoff's right calf through his jeans. Before disappearing again into the forest. Medoff lets out a deep growl that turns into a roar of pain. He leans down and rips the branch from his calf, blood spills out onto the ground. He rips a piece of fabric from the bottom of his jeans and ties it around his calf as a tourniquet.

Medoff listens and looks for Jacob once more. His head quickly snaps to the left. He must have heard something. He rushes off. I wait in silence listening for any sounds, hoping he hasn't found Jacob. The forest is still. Suddenly Jacob comes flying through the air and falls against a large maple tree, which gets knocked over and falls to the ground. Before Jacob can run away, Medoff flys to him and picks him up by the neck, holding him in the air as Jacob screams trying to get away.

I start to race toward Medoff and Jacob unsure of what I'm going to do. I just know I have to save Jacob. On the way there I grab a large pointed stick from the ground and keep my hand wrapped tightly around it.

"How crispy do you like your newborns, Bella? I think I will make this one extra crispy"

I reach Medoff and ram the stick into his wound, through his tourniquet. He screams in agony and drops Jacob to the ground. Jacob grabs me, throws me over his shoulder, and runs through the forest. I try to mind-call to Edward. I'm not seeing a cloud form or picturing him clearly so I have no idea if it is getting to him. I still don't know if he is still in a trance or not, but I try to show him where we are in case he's out of his trance.

We come upon a large, old mansion that looks like it's been abandoned for centuries. Jacob stops and places me on my feet.

"I'm not sure if we should try to hide or keep running. I know I can't win fighting him," Jacob says.

"Let's hide. I can try to communicate with Edward again or try to order the amulet to release everyone." Jacob grabs me in his arms and races to the front door of the abandoned mansion. He places me on my feet and I open the door slowly and peek inside.

"It's abandoned," I say as I walk inside with Jacob following me. "Let's look for an attic to hide in. Everyone always checks the basement." We tiptoe up the stairs in silence. When we hit the second floor we start walking down the long corridor. The wallpaper in the hallway is an old yellow flower design that is peeling off of the walls. The smell of dust and mold fills my nostrils. The windows are so heavily coated with dust and dirt that the sun does not shine through. As we get halfway down the hallway we hear a door open behind us and quickly turn around to see a man and a woman grinning evilly as they start coming toward us.

"Looks like Medoff's little birds came right to us," says the man. We hear a door behind us creak open. Two more people walk out into the hallway. They have us surrounded.


	25. Chapter 25 The End

**Fated**

 **Chapter 25**

 **The End**

 **A/N Thank you everyone for your patience and I apologize for falling behind so much with this story. My health issues are not clearing up fast but I am happy to be able to say I have finished the story. Since it's been so long since I've posted I will give a quick recap of where we left off... Bella and Jacob are in the old house they thought was abandoned hiding from Medoff but as they walked along the upstairs hallway four vampires came out from bedrooms and have them surrounded.**

* * *

As they open their mouths, their fangs slide down into place and I realize they are not people but are vampires.

"Any ideas?" Jacob asks. I glance at him and raise an eyebrow.

"Fight," I say as I concentrate upon my amulet trying to get it to attack. Jacob pushes me behind him with one arm squeezing me between him and the wall. He is alert and ready for attack as two vampires approach us from both sides. Jacob races to the left. He pushes both arms out, palms outstretched and shoves both vampires sending them flying backward down the hall and threw the glass window. He runs back to stand between me and the other 2 vampires. His speed as a newborn much faster than theirs.

The first vampire to reach us jumps up into the air and lands upon Jacob's shoulders but Jacob moves fast and grabs the vampire's ankles and pulls him down slamming him face-first onto the floor. Jacob's foot upon the vampire's back, it holds the vampire to the floor. The other vampire moves around Jacob to come toward me. Jacob reaches out and grabs a fistful of her hair holding her in place. She spins around and jumps on Jacob knocking him to the ground. She climbs on top of Jacob and attempts to bite him as Jacob's holds her back with his hands pressing against her shoulders. The vampire's teeth are only inches from Jacob's neck. The other vampire jumps up from the floor and races toward me. As he gets close my amulet sends out a concentrated purple ray hitting the vampire in the chest. The vampire's face turns to panic as his chest begins to smoke and he bursts in flames. As he slowly comes toward me I back away watching him go up in flames. His ashes drift along with the air like dust in the wind.

I look at Jacob just in time to see him grab the other vampire with his hands by her jaw and rip it wide open ripping her head completely off. The body and head drop to the floor. Jacob rushes to my side. We both glance at the broken window where he threw the two vampires.

"Now, I wonder why they didn't come back," Jacob says.

"I dunno but I have a bad feeling about this," I say as I rub my goosebump-riddled arms.

* * *

We walk downstairs cautiously looking for any other vampires as we work our way toward the front door. We open the front door and step outside. A wave of heat hits my body like a brick wall. My skin burns slightly as heat presses against it. I labor to breathe in the thick air. A wall of fire, about 20 feet from the house, rises over 500 feet tall, encircling the house. Jacob and I exchange glances. This is the first time I have ever seen fear in Jacob's eyes. In the air above us, Medoff hovers with his large, outstretched wings of fire and lightning.

"You are trapped. There's no way out for you, newborn. You can jump high, but not that high," Medoff says as he nods toward the flames. "There's no reason for Bella to die with you. Throw her to me and I will take good care of her."

"Never!" I yell defiantly. I turn to face Jacob to tell him we will find a way out. He wraps his arms around me and kisses me lightly on the lips. I pull my head back and see the sadness in his eyes. "Jacob..."

Before I know what is happening, Jacob grabs me by my waist and throws me into the air.

"No! I reach downwards trying to grasp onto Jacob but I am traveling too fast. Medoff catches me wrapping his arms around my waist. I look back at Jacob reaching out toward him as we fly away.

"Jacob!" I keep watching Jacob as we fly farther away until I can see him no more. "Please don't let him die and I will do anything you want," I say to Medoff who remains silent.

We fly for over an hour before Medoff lands in a large clearing on top of a mountain. Waiting for him is a coven of vampires. A tall vampire with dark, straight, black hair and the strangest neon blue eyes walks up to us and bows to Medoff.

"The other dragon will be coming for her soon. Do you have everything ready?" Medoff asks.

"All traps are in place and the harpoons are loaded."

"Good."

"What about the other vampires?" The blue-eyed vampire asks Medoff.

Medoff shakes his head. "Charlie is probably just freeing them now with his potions. They won't be able to travel as fast on foot. They won't make it here on time. Only the dragon will arrive. After we kill him, hunting down and killing the others will be easy." Medoff looks at me. "Get her something to eat. She's had a long day. I don't want her getting sick on me. After she eats place her in position."

The vampire grabs me by my arm and pulls me along as he walks across the field. I stumble along half walking half being drug while looking around at my surroundings. There are vampires all over. Some are lined up in rows on either side of the field with their arms raised into the air performing some kind of magick in the sky. I see gold sparkles floating out from their fingertips stretching across the sky. Others are placing large metal shields on the field in different positions.

I'm taken to a spot on the field that contains a chair and a pot cooking over a camp stove. The vampire grabs a bowl and fills it with soup from the pot and holds it out to me.

"Sit down and eat. We made it special just for you. Don't worry. There's nothing bad in it. Medoff wants you healthy and alert so we can test you to see what kind of powers you hold." I want to refuse him but I am very hungry and know I will be able to fight better on a full stomach, so I sit and take the bowl and a spoon from him and I eat quietly. Three vampires standing near watch me silently.

"She's finished. Take her to the position," the vampire who walked me over says to the other three vampires. One of the three walks up to me and waves his arm impatiently.

"Come on!"

I get up and walk in the direction he points. I feel two hard palms strike me on the back of each shoulder blade and am thrown forward onto the ground landing on my hands and knees. I stand up and turn around to face the vampire. Before I can say a word my amulet surrounds the vampire in purple light and quickly disintegrates him right in front of my eyes. The other two vampires gasp in shock and look at me with fear on their faces. I smirk at them.

"Idiot!" The blue-eyed vampire says. "I suggest you do not attempt to harm her," he says to the remaining two vampires.

"We should take that amulet from her," one of the remaining vampires says.

"Do you want to take it?" The blue-eyed vampire says to him. The other vampire shakes his head no.  
"Then continue."

The vampires wait patiently for me to continue to walk again. They lead me to a tall wooden pole set in the middle of the field. I see chains lying on the ground at the bottom of the pole and step up next to the pole.

"So, who is going to wrap the chains around me?" I tease with a dangerous smirk on my face. Both vampires look at each other worried and just stand there without moving. Suddenly Medoff lands on the ground in front of me.

"For Pete's sake! Do neither of you have a backbone?" Medoff scolds the vampires as he walks up to me and wraps the chains around my torso pinning me to the pole. He looks into my eyes. "You should not have to stay here for too long. The dragon should be here soon and as soon as we take care of him you and I will be off to our home."

"Please don't harm him," I beg.

"He will never stop coming for you if I let him live, and you will never stop trying to escape to go back to him." He lifts his nose into the air and sniffs.

"Everyone to their places," Medoff yells and disappears into the sky. Vampires race across the field getting into different positions. Some are behind the metal shields, some are manning the harpoon guns, the others are still on either side of the field spritzing magick into the air. Suddenly everything grows quiet as I stare out onto the field. I see a fast blur run across the field. So fast I wonder whether I really saw anything at all. A few seconds later I see another blur off to the right of the field and one of the vampires manning a harpoon is suddenly gone. Now I see a fast-moving blur to the left and another vampire manning another harpoon gun is gone. No one else seems to notice. A smile creeps across my lips.

As the blurs continue to rid the harpoon guns of operators, in the distance I see a distinct set of fire-wings growing closer. I close my eyes and call out inside my head. "Edward!" a vision of his face pops into my mind.

"Are you alright? I'm coming for you."

"Yes, Edward. I'm fine. I see you coming! They have harpoon guns!"

"I know. The rest of the family is taking care of those."

"Edward, Jacob..." My inner voice becomes shaky and weak.

"Jacob is fine. Alice found him and pushed some trees down for him to walk across." I sigh as my relief now turns to anger. I am ready to fight.

As Edward begins to fly over the field an electric golden spark explodes in the air as he flies into it, hitting him in the chest. He grabs his chest and begins to fall to the ground. The vampires hiding behind the metal shields all rise and raise their hands in the air. See-through waves of energy emit from their hands and concentrate upon Edward. The energy lifts him higher into the air, tossing him back and forth violently as the vampires wave their hands in the air. He seems unable to break through it. The invisible energy slams him into another gold sparkling bomb that explodes and sends electric shock waves through Edward's body. I squint my eyes looking at the sky and notice certain areas of the sky seem to shimmer in almost invisible waves. I trace the waves and find them ending on either side of the field coming from the vampires.

"The vampires on the sides of the fields are causing the energy bombs," I scream inside my head to whoever can hear it. I see Carlisle run down the line of vampires on one side of the field knocking them all on their asses. Then Esme does the same to the vampires on the other side, temporarily halting their energy bombs. Edward is still being thrashed around in the air by the vampires hiding by their shields. Rosalie and Emmett are fighting two of the vampires controlling Edward. With fewer vampires attacking him with energy beams, Edward is able to clumsily land on the ground and grabs another vampire by his head and rips it off his body. He then turns on another and does the same.

Carlisle and Esme kill all the vampires controlling Edward. Free from their control, Edward leaps into the air, his skin turning deep ember red and lightning sparking between his fire-wings. He looks formidable as he flies over the vampires producing the energy bombs and opens his mouth. Fire shoots out in a large arc setting all vampires on that side of the field on fire. They race aimlessly around on the field until they burn down to ash. Edward halts in the air, turns, and begins to fly in the other direction. The vampires on the other side of the field see Edward coming and attempt to run but they are too late. Edward catches up with them and shoots bolts of fire out of his mouth, hitting each vampire with a bolt and setting them ablaze.

More vampires come racing onto the field and a battle ensues with Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett. Edward begins to fly toward me. Medoff comes out of nowhere and T-bones Edward in mid-flight knocking him to the ground. They both hit the ground with such force Edward is buried into the earth 20 feet deep. As Edward flies up from the ground, Medoff grabs a metal shield ripping it from the ground and pummels Edward's head with it, knocking him back down. Medoff flies to one of the harpoon guns and waits for Edward to reappear. As Edward ascends into the sky, Medoff releases the harpoon.

"Look out!" I scream inside my head but I am too late. The harpoon pierces Edward through his left side. A rope tied to the harpoon hangs from it to the shield on the ground. Edward struggles in the air to free himself.

"No!" I scream. Medoff looks over at me.

"You may not want to watch this part," Medoff says to me as he rips the rope off of the shield and begins running on the ground, dragging Edward behind him. Carlisle sees Edward struggling and races toward Medoff. As Carlisle reaches Medoff he slaps Carlisle into the air as easily as swatting a fly. Esme runs to Edward and pulls the harpoon from his side. Medoff flies to Edward and grabs him lifting him up into the air as I and our vampire friends watch helplessly. The two dragons wrestle in the air, punching and kicking each other, Edward holding a hand against his side to slow the blood loss. They use their wings as battering rams slamming into each other. Locked in an embrace, they both fall to the ground while pummeling each other. They both fall to the ground and Edward jumps up and runs in a circle picking up speed and rams Medoff head-on pushing him into the side of the mountain.

Rosalie races toward me and rips my chains off dropping them to the ground. "You have to try to concentrate, Bella. We need your new abilities to help us. I will guard over you if you try to do something, anything. Do you think you can teleport us again?"

"I don't know. I will try... something." I close my eyes and concentrate hoping to get a vision of what to do.

"You can't beat me, dragon. I am stronger and more powerful than you could ever be." I open my eyes when I hear Medoff taunting Edward. Medoff flies out of the mountain toward Edward.

"Can't Edward set Medoff on fire?" I ask Rosalie. She shakes her head no.

"They are both fireproof. If any of us go near Medoff to help Edward he can set us on fire. We can't get close to him."

I see Carlisle aiming a harpoon gun and watch as the harpoon glides effortlessly through the air, piercing Medoff in the left-wing and I watch him fall to the ground screams of agony bellow across the field. Esme races to Carlisle's side to help him in case Medoff retaliates. As Medoff scrambles around on the ground to free himself from the harpoon Edward flies toward me. He reaches down and holds out his hand. I grab it and he pulls me up onto his back.

"I have to get you to safety."

"No, you don't, Edward! We're in this together! Stop trying to save me and allow me to fight by your side. You can't beat him on your own but just maybe...maybe together we can beat him. It's time you admit I am not defenseless and allow me to fight by your side as your equal." Edward is silent for a moment.

"What did you have in mind?"

I close my eyes and concentrate. I feel purple energy emanating from my amulet and force it to stretch out to encompass both myself and Edward. I open my eyes and see a purple shield surrounding us.

"His fire can't hurt me now. You have to trust me on this Edward. I know this shield will protect me... protect us. Let's go get him!"

Edward hesitates for a second while he checks out our purple energy shield. He looks at me and a look of confidence rises upon his face. As he begins to flap his wings I close my eyes and concentrate upon the sound of his wings beating against the air and envision myself and my powers becoming one with Edward. I envision his red ember skin flowing through him into me, merging with my purple power. A purple shield with red ember glowing power inside and lightning racing around inside it protects us.

I open my eyes to see Medoff has now freed himself from the harpoon and is flying towards us in a final showdown. I tell my power to merge with Edwards. Slowly my body takes on the same ember red glow that Edwards does. I wrap my legs around his body tight and feel his strength and power pour into my body. As my purple shield glows bright around us both, my body begins to grow hot but it does not burn me. Lighting flashes inside Edward's wings and races through my body. We are one power of solid purple and red with hot red lightning flashing inside us. Medoff opens his mouth and breathes out a long barrel of fire directly at us. It hits our shield and simply falls down into the air. Medoff's face is of shock and fear as Edward's wings beat faster taking us closer. As we near Medoff, Edward opens his mouth as I will all of my power into Edward while screaming a triumphant power releasing roar. Purple fire with red lightning inside it pours out of Edward's mouth covering Medoff's body. He lights up with purple fire burning into his skin, incinerating him in mid-air. He quickly turns to ash which floats away in the wind.

As we are landing I look at my arms and see the red ember glow and lightning slowly drain from me. I call to my shield and purple fire power to lower and drain back inside me. Once we hit the ground I climb off of Edward's back and swing myself around to face him. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him deeply. I feel the breeze of our friends racing to our side and sigh a breath of relief and happiness. I pull my head back slightly and look into Edwards eyes with a wide smile.

"That's some team we make," Edward says.

"I always knew we would be an amazing team."

* * *

A/N: Thank you everyone for reading my story and I apologize again for my absence. I will not be writing another story until my current health situation is better and I know I can update regularly. I will be making some modifications and corrections to this story so please ignore any notifications of updates. It will just be small changes and sentence structure and spelling corrections. If anyone knows if I can somehow turn off the notifications for my story so people will not get notified when I make corrections please let me know. Thank you again to all your wonderful people giving such amazing reviews and for sticking with me through this story!


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